The following letter has gone out today to
1) Antonio Osorio, Group Chief Executive Officer, Lloyds Banking Group Plc,
2) Ross McEwan, Group Chief Executive Officer, Royal Bank of Scotland Plc,
3) Nathan Bostok, Chief Executive Officer, Santander UK Plc,
4) John McFarlance, Executive Chairman, Barclays Bank Plc,
5) Paul D. Pester, Chief Executive Officer, TSB Bank Plc,
6) Stuart Gulliver, Group Chief Executive Officer, HSBC Holdings Plc.
Anthony Franklin
(address given)
Stuart
Gulliver
Group Chief
Executive Officer
HSBC
Holdings Plc
8, Canada
Square,
London,
E14 5HQ.
16th September 2015
Dear Mr Gulliver,
You may be aware of the increased public concern about the 24
/ 7 availability of gambling and gambling advertising and that not enough is
being done to stem the tide of destruction and misery for those who suffer with
a gambling addiction, and their families.
Within this context I write to ask that HSBC Holdings Plc
provides on customer request self-exclusion for gambling
transactions on debit / credit / prepaid cards (MCC 7995) and provides a form
available on-line or in branch for all its’ group retail banks for this
purpose.
Analysis of the Health Survey for England
2012 and of the Scottish Health Survey 2012 identified 700,000 adults or
1.4% of the population in England and Scotland to be either at moderate risk of
gambling addiction or problem gamblers. (Source: Gambling Commission)
Based on the Health Survey analysis for more than 1 in 100
of your bank’s customers’ gambling addiction can be a very serious problem and
the financial consequence of the problem can be devastating.
I look forward to hearing your response to
this matter.
Kind regards,
Anthony Franklin; campaigning as GamblingHurts.
Twitter: @gamblinghurts
