UK bankers Barclays will force customers to wait 72 hours before reactivating their card for gambling purposes, while Australia has undergone a serious surge in card-blocking sign-ups during the pandemic.

Two years ago, Barclays became the first major UK bank to allow mobile banking customers to ‘switch off’ debit card spending on a variety of activities, including gambling (be it casinos, betting shops, online gambling, racetracks, even lotteries).

On Thursday, PA Media reported that Barclays customers who switched off gambling spending would now need to wait 72 hours before being allowed to ‘undo’ their original decision. This cooling-off feature will be added to the mobile app’s functionality in a few weeks.

Barclays managing director Sian McIntyre said the new feature was the result of feedback from customers who wanted something that offered “a real pause for thought and help when they are tempted to return to gambling.”