Britain’s Home Office has launched a probe into reports that some asylum seekers have been using payment cards, intended for essential supplies, for gambling.
A Freedom of Information request by PoliticsHome revealed over 6,500 attempted gambling transactions by asylum seekers using the Aspen cards over the past 12 months.
These cards, provided by the Home Office, are designed to allow asylum seekers awaiting decisions on their status to buy necessities such as food and hygiene products, with small weekly top-ups.
Recipients initially receive £9.95 ($13.40) per week on their Aspen card while in fully catered hotels, increasing to £49.18 ($66.21) when they move to self-catered accommodations.
However, some have used the chip-and-pin cards to gamble at physical venues like casinos, slot machine arcades, and lottery retailers.
Attempted online gambling transactions were blocked, while some cash withdrawals were made near gambling sites, as identified via terminal ID numbers.
The FoI data obtained by PoliticsHome showed a high point of 227 gambling attempts in one week last November, with a low of 40 attempts in a week last July.
Around 80,000 asylum seekers currently use Aspen cards, which are supposed to have strict usage controls and limits.
‘This madness must end,’ says Tory MP
A Home Office spokesperson told ReadWrite it has “begun an investigation into the use of Aspen cards.”
“The Home Office has a legal obligation to support asylum seekers, including any dependants, who would otherwise be destitute.”
Conservative Party shadow home secretary Chris Philp expressed his disapproval at this use of taxpayers’ cash, stating: “This madness has to end.”
This Labour Government is allowing illegal migrants to gamble using taxpayers’ hard earned cash. This madness has to end. pic.twitter.com/cnSZwYLVyx
— Chris Philp MP (@CPhilpOfficial) July 24, 2025
It is understood that measures will be taken by the Home Office to ensure that physical gambling with Aspen Cards will not be possible in the future.
The UK government department, in collaboration with the Treasury, has also conducted the 2025 National Risk Assessment of Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing.
In the 163-page report, it’s found some things were found regarding how legal practices seem to be a hot spot for money laundering, as well as raising the risk level from low to medium in the casino and gambling sector.
Image credit: ukhomeoffice/X
