Having a meal out is a gamble. Nationwide classify a meal at a casino a gambling transaction.

w0z

From their recent changes to T&Cs

Condition 5(b) Transactions

“We may, acting reasonably, refuse to allow a transaction...if the transaction relates to digital currencies or gambling services. This could include any purchases from a gambling or digital currency business e.g. meals at a casino.”

In fairness it might be a bit of a gamble as to whether you might get food poisoning...

(Presumably they can't discriminate whether it's gambling because of the MCC)

WillPS

w0z said:

From their recent changes to T&Cs

Condition 5(b) Transactions

“We may, acting reasonably, refuse to allow a transaction...if the transaction relates to digital currencies or gambling services. This could include any purchases from a gambling or digital currency business e.g. meals at a casino.”

In fairness it might be a bit of a gamble as to whether you might get food poisoning...

(Presumably they can't discriminate whether it's gambling because of the MCC)

I happened to order some drinks from a Genting Casino on my Barclaycard last month. It is categorised as 'Eating Places and Restaur...'.

Perhaps this is more of an issue at casinos overseas where credit cards can be used to gamble as well as purchase drinks after everything else has shut.

sonofmerton

Bingo places won't usually allow you to buy food using a credit card either. Seen plenty of arguments in our local club with staff. The law changed a while back. 

DullGreyGuy

w0z said:

From their recent changes to T&Cs

Condition 5(b) Transactions

“We may, acting reasonably, refuse to allow a transaction...if the transaction relates to digital currencies or gambling services. This could include any purchases from a gambling or digital currency business e.g. meals at a casino.”

In fairness it might be a bit of a gamble as to whether you might get food poisoning...

(Presumably they can't discriminate whether it's gambling because of the MCC)

It will be down to the casino, they could have two MCCs, one for their food services and another for gambling in which case it's likely the food would be authorised. A casino may not want the complexities of having two merchant services accounts in which case the MCC will be for gambling and CCs likely to either decline or treat it as a cash advance. 

CliveOfIndia

w0z said:

(Presumably they can't discriminate whether it's gambling because of the MCC)

That's the nub of it.  In the UK it's now illegal to pay for gambling with a credit card.  If the casino uses a different MCC for their restaurant than what they do for their main business then you'll be fine.  But if they just use one MCC for the whole establishment, and that is classified as gambling, then you'd most likely find your card declined.

As a slight aside, if you go on holiday to Las Vegas for instance, you'd be able to buy gambling chips using your credit card, but it would be classed as a cash transaction, so you'd be charged a cash advance fee and interest even if you repay in full at the end of the month.

JohnSwift10

sonofmerton said:

Bingo places won't usually allow you to buy food using a credit card either. Seen plenty of arguments in our local club with staff. The law changed a while back. 

I used to pay for my bingo books and drinks and snacks with a credit card at my local bingo club as well but now the bingo club no longer allows it and I have to use a debit card or cash now.

retiredbanker1

Two points I would make - 1 Gambling by using a credit card has been stopped for a couple of years now 2 If transactions to Casinos are processed it surely means it is not a gambling transaction but something else ie drinks or food so cards should not charge or view the transactions as cash?

WillPS

retiredbanker1 said:

Two points I would make - 1 Gambling by using a credit card has been stopped for a couple of years now 2 If transactions to Casinos are processed it surely means it is not a gambling transaction but something else ie drinks or food so cards should not charge or view the transactions as cash?

1 - only in the UK, many other countries still allow it, and a Nationwide credit card can potentially be used wherever Visa credit cards are accepted.

2 - I suspect in most cases you are right, and food/drinks will be processed under a suitable non-gambling MCC. Nationwide are just covering their backs in case they don't though, presumably as a result of a complaint where exactly this has happened.

w0z

Not only Credit cards, it also applies to Debit cards.
The rule is to prevent money-laundering.

WillPS

w0z said:

Not only Credit cards, it also applies to Debit cards.
The rule is to prevent money-laundering.

You can gamble using a debit card, including at casinos.

w0z

Apologies momentary glitch, you are correct it only applies to credit cards. I was thinking about the gambling block, not the same thing, but that said casinos are a great place to launder cash (or so I'm told)