Over 6,500 attempts to use ASPEN cards, provided by the Home Office to asylum seekers in the UK, for gambling were recorded in the past year. The cards, offering weekly top-ups ranging from £9.95 to £49.18, are intended for food and essential needs. While online gambling attempts were blocked, successful transactions occurred at physical gambling locations, including casinos, arcades, and lottery retailers. A peak of 227 attempts was recorded in one week last November.

The Home Office is reviewing the transactions and promises to take urgent action against any misuse. Conservative shadow home secretary Chris Philp criticized the misuse of taxpayer money. There are approximately 80,000 ASPEN card users in the UK, and the BBC reports that measures will be implemented to prevent future physical gambling transactions. A Home Office source stated that urgent action will be taken if any card misuse is confirmed.

Impact Statement: The incident highlights potential vulnerabilities in the system designed to support asylum seekers and raises concerns about the responsible use of public funds.