Supporting Customers at Risk of Gambling Harm

How behavioural science helped HSBC increase engagement with gambling support tools

The Challenge

Gambling harm is a growing issue in the UK. Around 500,000 people experience gambling-related harm, while two million more are at risk. The impact extends beyond the individual, with problem gambling affecting an average of six additional people through financial stress, emotional strain, and relationship breakdown.

At the same time, the introduction of the Financial Conduct Authority’s Consumer Duty regulation placed greater responsibility on financial institutions to identify and support vulnerable customers. HSBC had already introduced tools such as gambling transaction blocks, but many customers were not aware of these features or were reluctant to engage with them.

The challenge was clear:

How can behavioural science help increase awareness and uptake of gambling support tools among vulnerable customers?

Our approach

Cowry partnered with HSBC to identify the behavioural barriers preventing customers from engaging with gambling support and to design interventions that would increase awareness and usage.

• Behavioural diagnosis – We analysed the psychological factors influencing how customers engage with financial support tools.
• Vulnerability framework – Our approach was grounded in Cowry’s work with vulnerable customers and applied HSBC’s internal vulnerability framework to understand how customers behave when facing difficult circumstances.
• Behavioural design – Behaviourally informed messaging and digital touchpoints were redesigned to guide customers toward available support tools.
• Pilot testing – The redesigned interventions were tested with customer segments based on HSBC’s risk classification to evaluate their impact on engagement.

Behavioural insight

Our research identified three key behavioural barriers preventing customers from engaging with gambling support.

The solution

Using these insights, Cowry redesigned key customer touchpoints to encourage engagement with gambling support.

Behaviourally targeted banking messages

Personalised in-app and online banking prompts were developed for different risk segments.

For example:

Medium-risk customers saw messages such as
“Many customers wish they had taken control of their gambling sooner.”
This leverages social norms to encourage action.

High-risk customers saw messages such as
“Take control of your gambling today. Acting now will protect your future.”
This uses present bias to highlight the urgency of action.

These prompts directed customers toward HSBC’s gambling support resources.

Behavioural redesign of the gambling support hub

The gambling support webpage was redesigned to reduce friction and encourage action.

Three behavioural nudges were introduced:

Reflection prompts – Questions such as “Have you noticed any of these behaviours lately?” encourage customers to reflect on their habits and recognise potential issues.

Simplified decision pathways

Binary options such as:

“I want to freeze my uncontrolled spending”

“I want to explore other support options”

help guide customers toward immediate action.

Empowering language

The gambling transaction “block” was reframed as a “freeze”, creating a more empowering and less punitive tone.

Impact:

The pilot study demonstrated strong engagement with the redesigned interventions. Behaviourally designed prompts generated higher engagement among high-risk customers compared to other in-app campaigns.