Not upheld: account closure for excessive gambling; alleged failure to make reasonable adjustments; alleged discrimination complaint against Triodos Bank UK Limited

Decision detail

Summary

Mr F complained that Triodos Bank UK Limited unfairly closed his account due to excessive gambling activity, arguing the bank failed to define 'excessive' clearly, failed to make reasonable adjustments for his mental health vulnerabilities, and discriminated against him. The bank had identified that 77% of Mr F's transactions between November and December 2025 were gambling-related, in breach of account terms prohibiting excessive gambling. Although Mr F disclosed that gambling was a doctor-recommended coping strategy for his acute mental health condition, the ombudsman found TBUL fairly construed the activity as excessive, provided adequate notice, and was entitled to exercise legitimate commercial discretion in closing the account, particularly as Mr F had alternative banking services available.

The Ombudsman's reasoning

The ombudsman found that TBUL fairly construed the gambling activity as 'excessive' based on the volume of transactions (77% of all transactions) and was not required to provide an exact numerical threshold. The ombudsman determined that continuing to provide an account for activity in breach of terms and conditions would not constitute a reasonable adjustment under the Equality Act 2010, particularly as Mr F had alternative banking services available. TBUL exercised legitimate commercial discretion in closing the account and provided fair warning with adequate notice.

How this compares

Source

Read the original decision on the Financial Ombudsman Service website