Dormant Betting Accounts
Debate between Patricia Gibson and Craig MackinlayWestminster Hall is an alternative Chamber for MPs to hold debates, named after the adjoining Westminster Hall.
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Patricia Gibson
That must have been what I was thinking of. I apologise to the hon. Gentleman for changing his constituency without consulting him.
For the information of the hon. Member for Solihull (Julian Knight), the definition of a dormant account may vary depending on who is asked. If we were to move the matter forward, that is an argument we could have. Would an account be dormant after, for example, 12 months or 18 months? There is a debate to be had about that. Today, that is beside the point because we are talking about the principle of dormant accounts, not ones that have simply been unattended for a few months.
Craig Mackinlay (South Thanet) (Con)
Has the hon. Lady gathered any evidence as to exactly what steps the betting companies take to locate the person who holds the dormant account? It is often the case that people deposit from their credit or debit card, and can withdraw money at will. Betting companies hold people’s debit and credit card numbers. In the hon. Lady’s estimation, would it help if funds were just returned automatically after a certain amount of time, if that card is still live? Might that obviate some problems we are discussing?