The Intermediary: Mortgage borrowers who use gambling as a leisure activity "shouldn't be treated like they're the Cincinnati Kid":

Following a LinkedIn post by broker, Joe Childes, of Rotherham-based Right Choice Mortgages, saying a client was declined by a lender due to gambling transactions seen on their bank statements, despite it being a joint application, the borrowers having no form of credit in the background and the loan being less than 50% loan-to-value, Newspage asked brokers if this is an anomaly or whether lenders are red flagging gambling of any kind.

Harps Garcha, Director at Brooklyns Financial said: 

"Mortgage underwriting seems to have taken a page from the book of dating online: it's all about swiping left or right and nothing in between. 

"It's like they've replaced the underwriter's gavel with a 'yes' or 'no' button, making it feel like a game show rather than a financial decision. And when it comes to gambling transactions, it's as if one spin at the roulette table is enough to label you a high roller in the eyes of some lenders.

"But fear not, the wise underwriter generally knows that a single bet does not a gambler make, just as one salad does not constitute a diet."

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