Home Office launches probe into use of asylum seeker payment cards for gambling

There are currently around 80,000 users of Aspen cards across the UK (Alamy/PA) -

The Home Office has launched an investigation into asylum seeker payment cards after data showed some had been used for gambling.

More than 6,500 transactions were attempted online and at sites such as casinos, slot machine arcades and national lottery retailers in the past year, according to a Freedom of Information request made by PoliticsHome.