Not upheld: Irresponsible lending complaint against National Westminster Bank Public Limited Company (NatWest)

Decision detail

Summary

Mr H complained that NatWest should have recognised his serious gambling addiction (£12,666 spent between October 2025 and March 2026) and intervened to protect him. NatWest argued it was unaware of the problem as Mr H did not inform it, though it did block some transactions and later placed a gambling block on his account. The ombudsman did not uphold the complaint, finding that NatWest had no knowledge of the gambling problem until Mr H's complaint and that the bank took appropriate supportive action once informed. The ombudsman noted that while banks should assist customers with gambling issues, this typically requires the customer to request help first.

The Ombudsman's reasoning

The ombudsman found that while banks should deal appropriately with customers who have gambling issues and offer support and blocking methods, this requires the customer to ask for help first. Mr H did not inform NatWest of his vulnerability or addiction until making his complaint. The ombudsman was satisfied that Mr H's account was appropriately managed and that even if NatWest had proactively asked about assistance, Mr H would likely have confirmed the transactions were authorised. Once NatWest became aware of the gambling addiction, it took appropriate steps including placing a gambling block and providing support resources.

How this compares

Source

Read the original decision on the Financial Ombudsman Service website