How to Unblock Gambling on Revolut in the UK: My Messy Dive Into 2025 Rules
Why now? The way I see it — late 2025 feels like the weirdest year for online betting, money apps and just… tech headaches. Noticed my mates moaning about Revolut suddenly “blocking” bet deposits last week. My own Bet365 payout bounced for the first time—on a soggy Thursday morning in Newcastle, payroll in, but “payment declined.” Honestly, wasn’t meant to be a session anyway. Still — why did this happen now? Revolut: the fintech everyone touts for speed and slick design, suddenly throwing up walls just when people want to muck about at the online casino. Maybe it’s the licence changes. Or just regulators flexing their muscles again.
I’m writing this as someone who actually bets, who hates being patronised by banks, and who’s been burned by Revolut “features” more than once. Want the messy reality? This is it.
List of Non Gamstop Casinos with Friendly Payments
Why Is Gambling Blocked on Revolut App Now?
The not-so-fun answer: UK rules changed, Revolut got scared, and the app started “protecting” you, even if you don’t want protecting.
Back in August 2024, Revolut finally got their UK banking licence, right? Well, sort of. The official, red-tape “mobilisation” phase started. Revolut said “Look, we’re working with UK laws, stricter anti-gambling vibes, extra hoops for payments.” By July 2025, the licence still wasn’t fully sorted — no proper “bank” label yet, but more scrutiny from the Bank of England and the FCA. It means every weird transaction? Flagged. Gambling, especially.
Used to be, every time you dumped money into Betfred or Coral, Revolut would more or less let it through, unless you’d flicked on your own gambling block in Settings. Now, thanks to the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) 2021 credit card crackdown and new “e-money institution” rules, even debit deposits get the hairy eyeball. And if Revolut suspects you’re topping up via credit? Nightmare — auto-block, and even some legit debit card deposits get bounced.
What Did the “Gambling Block” Actually Change? Do I Have Control?
I thought I was clever — just “turn off” the gambling block in-app whenever I wanted. But in 2025? It’s 48 hours before your app will “remove” the block, and you can’t fast track it, no matter how desperate/bored/drunk you feel. All card payments to known gambling merchants instantly denied for those two days. I checked this week — last update: 8 October 2025. Still a thing. Some mates say even after waiting 48 hours, Revolut randomly declines transactions for another 10-15 minutes. Swear it increases when I’m chasing a football acca.
That manual toggle is meant to slow you down. Psych nudges, apparently. Same logic as GamStop’s waiting period. But let’s be real, it’s a tech wall that holds until you click “remove” — then it’s up to automated systems. I find the delay both pointless and infuriating. You can’t “turn off” instantly, and you’re at the mercy of the update process, which sometimes had my account stuck for up to 20 minutes after the 48 hours.
Any Loopholes? Are There Workarounds in 2025?
Here’s what I’ve seen. If your bookie isn’t using correct “gambling” MCC codes (Merchant Category Codes), the blocks don’t always hit. A couple obscure betting sites or sweepstakes casinos without MMC tagging let my mate deposit last month. But anything regulated, licensed, or big UK brands — Revolut sniffs it out.
Transfers? That’s murkier. Some folks get around it by sending money to a “friend” who then PayPal’s them, but even this is risky as Revolut monitors “known” indirect gambling routes. If caught, you risk account review. Revolut’s chat support in May 2024 told Mr. H (some punter who tried this) they could block merchants, not full-on gambling, and warned he’d be responsible if things went south. Read their ombudsman ruling: they won’t refund you if you beat the block, lose, then moan later.
Crypto? Funnily, you can “hide” crypto features, but not fully “remove” them as of March 2024. You can get temporary friction, but if you want to chase those NFT gambling sites, the block doesn’t really apply — but most major crypto platforms now flag Revolut payments anyway.
How to Actually “Unblock” Gambling on Revolut (If It’s Your Block)
Made the mistake of toggling on that block? Don’t worry — it’s both simple and annoying:
- Open Revolut. Tap profile (top left).
- Hit Security & Privacy.
- Scroll, find “Gambling Block.” Toggle off.
- Wait. 48 hours, minimum. Don’t ask for faster. Not happening.
Sometimes — and here’s where the hands-on bit stings — after “removing” the block, you’ll get stuck on a checking screen. My fastest was seven minutes after 48h wait. Slowest? Twenty minutes, and one time the app glitched, making me re-confirm my ID because my passport was “too old” (had to re-upload — the update only cleared after 90 minutes in that case).
Still blocked after all that? Try rebooting the app, or logging out/in again — I’ve resorted to reinstalling once. No magic trick though. If blocked, it’s not personal, it’s just the algorithm being slow, and maybe one more review team in Vilnius running extra checks that day.
Can I Use Revolut to Gamble in the UK in 2025?
Short answer: Increasingly, no — even if the block’s off. Most UKGC-licensed sites (Bet365, Paddy, etc) don’t even accept Revolut cards or accounts now. This became pretty hard-line by mid-2025, after the clarification that Revolut was considered an “e-money” institution, not a bank with full FSCS protection — so sites just canned it to be safe. Some offshore or “not on GamStop” casinos might still let Revolut through (check before sending, sometimes it’s a hard block).
My payout to Bet365 got denied on 7 October 2025. Funds bounced, card auto-banned for further deposits. Managers at the site say this applies to all Revolut cards, regardless of your “gambling block” setting. Pretty harsh — but it’s the way the winds are blowing now.
UK law bans all credit card payments to betting sites, and as of 2025, debit-based “prepaid” apps like Revolut get lumped in, too. If they spot the top-up comes from a credit route, it’s instantly declined. Even Apple Pay or Google Pay via Revolut? Increasingly flaky.
Is My Money Safe in Revolut Now They Have a Licence?
Depends what you mean by “safe.” Revolut isn’t (yet) fully FSCS protected in the UK as of October 2025. That means if the company flops tomorrow, your spending money is technically “safeguarded,” not insured like a true high street bank. If you use Vaults (£85,000 via Allica — as of last check), that’s FSCS covered, but your basic account isn’t.
That said, I keep under £500 in mine, because I don’t trust them with my “rainy day” stash. Still use it for day-to-day, but if you’re running your mortgage through it, might want to rethink… Especially after the migration emails in July 2025. Some big accounts lost out on European protection and dropped to 22k EUR cap.
What About Delays, Docs, and Revolut’s Updates?
If you change address, or your ID is over six months old, get ready for hassle. Re-uploading docs can take from a couple minutes up to a week (experienced both extremes since January 2025). My last update: passport rejected twice, then suddenly approved after 20 minutes chatting with bot support. If waiting hours, try prodding human support, but beware —once, the app locked me out for re-uploads, and the timeline only moved after next day’s upload. Painful, especially if you need fast access for, say, a last-minute Cheltenham flutter.
Is There a Risk Revolut Will Ban Me for Gambling at All?
If they spot repeated attempts to bypass their block — say, sending weird payments to mates who look like “cash outs” — they can freeze or limit your account. Usually starts as a review email. If you only dabble and keep under radar, seems safe enough. Don’t act shady, don’t play middleman for your mates, and you’ll probably be fine.
FAQs: Revolut Gambling Block & Payment in 2025
Is it legal to use Revolut for online betting in the UK right now?
As of October 2025, Revolut is blocked for most UKGC-licensed betting sites due to e-money regulations and stricter payment law.
How do I turn off the gambling block in Revolut?
Go to Profile > Security > Gambling Block. Toggle off. Wait 48 hours minimum, sometimes with up to 10-20 minutes more due to system lag.
Does turning off the block instantly restore my ability to gamble online?
No. After the 48h wait, payments may be delayed or randomly declined for 10-20 minutes. Payouts to sites using the correct merchant codes still get refused as of late 2025.
Is Revolut fully banking licensed, with full deposit protection?
No. As of October 2025, Revolut is in the “mobilisation” phase of UK banking authorisation. Normal accounts aren’t covered by FSCS. Only Vaults (with partner banks) give standard UK-level protection.
Why did my Revolut doc upload or verification take hours?
Delays happen if the ID is over six months old, you’ve moved address, or the national database is slow. Fastest turnaround seen: a few minutes. Worst: several days