It’s time to awaken dormant betting accounts!
3 min read
An SNP MP writes following his recent question to the Prime Minister calling for dormant online betting accounts to be taken over by the Government and proceeds used to support & treat problem gamblers.
Back in 2010 a report was prepared for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) by the former Liberal Democrat MP Don Foster (now Lord Foster of Bath) on the subject of dormant betting accounts. The report considered whether money from unclaimed winnings and dormant betting accounts should be used to fund improving sports provision. For those who aren’t aware, dormant betting accounts are those accounts which haven’t been touched or utilised by gamblers for years. In said accounts there could be sums of money which ‘punters’ have forgotten about, possibly due to having multiple betting accounts with different bookmakers or forgetting their log in details.
Unfortunately, it’s difficult to quantify the amounts held in dormant betting accounts as the bookmakers are unprepared to indicate, partly because many of them take the money from dormant accounts and add to their profits. However, the 2010 report highlighted, for the 2009/10 financial year the Tote had unclaimed dividends for pool betting of £944k. This is only a small example of what monies could be lying unclaimed in betting accounts.
Since the publication of the report, it appears little has been done to progress the matter and the UK Government has failed to take action to legislate on dormant betting accounts and show it is serious on tackling problem gambling.
Therefore, before the Easter recess I had the opportunity to quiz the Prime Minister at the weekly Prime Minister’s Question Time on the issue of dormant betting accounts. I highlighted to him that, according to the House of Commons Library, there is an estimated 280,000 problem gamblers in the UK. I was somewhat encouraged to learn the Prime Minister will be discussing the matter with the Secretary of State for Culture and I have since written to the Prime Minister to hold him to account for what was said at PMQ’s.
Alongside my question, I have undertaken a number of meetings with people from the gambling industry and those trying to support problem gamblers. My aim is to learn more about the issues and to see what can be done to support those individuals and families whose lives have been wrecked by gambling. I had the opportunity to meet with both the Chair and Chief Executive of Senet Group, an independent body set up to promote responsible gambling standards and ensure that the marketing of gambling is socially responsible. Added to this, I will be meeting with Responsible Gambling Trust and The Seeds of Change UK to discuss gambling and dormant betting accounts.
I believe this is too important an issue to pay lip service and strongly urge the Government to claim the money from dormant betting accounts, much like they do with dormant bank accounts. This money should be utilised to support problem gamblers and raise awareness of the issues involved.
It’s time to awaken dormant betting accounts.
Ronnie Cowan is the SNP MP for Inverclyde
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