Punters have labelled emails from a major high street bank warning them about “high” levels of gambling as “madness” and “a massive overreach”.
Santander customers have reported receiving the emails, which direct them towards safer gambling tools, at relatively low levels of spend and even when they are in profit for the month.
Terry Broughton, a security worker from Orpington, is among the punters to have received the unsolicited advice from his bank. In the month before receiving the email, he deposited £635 on bet365 and withdrew £768 and deposited £174 with Ladbrokes and withdrew £258, giving him a net positive position.
However, on February 18, Broughton was emailed by Santander with the subject line, ‘Your gambling activity has been high recently’. The email went on to state that “if you feel that gambling is having a negative impact on you, support is available” with links to blocking gambling transactions, setting up alerts in case a balance has gone below a set limit and independent support from GamCare among the four options provided.
Broughton said: “I have been on live chat to Santander after receiving the email and asked if they send emails to people who spend money in the pub or shopping and they don’t know what to say to you. They described it as a generic email they send out but it was clearly focused on gambling, and in my view, it is a load of rubbish.
“I understand about problem gambling and it is important there is help available for people who need it, but this is way over the top. I’ve never had an email of this kind before and it came right out of the blue.
“For most people gambling is a little release – it is a hobby and something that people enjoy – so it seems madness for a bank to get in touch about your gambling activity.”
Santander also contacted Sam Ward, who estimated his betting was “£150-£300 a week” over the past month. “Santander contacted me directly out of the blue, never had an email like that from them before,” he said. “It’s a massive overreach, I don’t need the institute I bank with to be contacting me about gambling. They don’t contact my wife and say she spends too much in Zara.”
Santander: have contacted punters over ‘high gambling activity’Credit: NurPhoto via Getty Images
Punters have increasingly faced frustrations around their betting through affordability checks and account restrictions. Among the findings of the Racing Post’s Big Punting Survey of nearly 10,000 people was that 29 per cent of gamblers had bet less on racing in the previous six months, and that over a third of high-staking punters had used the black market in the last year.
The Horseracing Bettors Forum (HBF), which represents the interests of those who bet on British racing, said the goal of reducing gambling-related harm is commendable, but stressed concerns over personal privacy and the autonomy of individuals wishing to bet.
HBF chair Sean Trivass said: “The methods employed must carefully balance protection with respect for personal autonomy and privacy. Overly intrusive measures risk not only infringing on individual rights but also driving consumers towards unsafe betting practices, ultimately jeopardising both personal welfare and the economic health of the horseracing industry.”
Contacted by the Racing Post, Santander did not provide details on its threshold for ‘high’ gambling activity. A spokesperson said: “We are committed to supporting any customers at risk of harm, including from gambling, and we work closely with charities and people with lived experience to ensure a supportive and proportionate approach.
“A range of different customer circumstances and behaviours are considered when targeting our communications. We have communicated in this way for a number of years with customers who may be at risk of financial harm.
“We give broad consideration to the UK government Gambling Act review and the ways in which the gambling landscape has changed in the digital age. Our communications are designed to offer support and information, helping customers to take informed actions rather than actively to prevent any activities or behaviours.”
Santander is one of 11 banks listed by the Gambling Commission as offering tools to block gambling. A spokesperson for the commission said: “Opt-in gambling blocks are tools offered to customers by the financial sector to prevent gambling transactions on their accounts when the customer requests it.
“These are initiatives driven by the financial sector and we support the additional choice and autonomy the tools give customers. Use of such tools does not affect a customer’s credit rating.”
The Betting and Gaming Council said it had “called for and welcomed” blocking tools, but that it was “important customers remain free to choose how they spend their money” and that they “are not unfairly stigmatised because of their leisure pastime”.
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