Enforceability of gambling debts

[Zamzara]

I was speaking to someone the other day who has huge credit card debts incurred through online gambling.

 

As I understand it, gambling debts were not legally enforceable before September 2007 when the law was changed.

 

Does anyone know if the change is retrospective (makes old debts enforceable), or does it only apply to debts incurred after that time?

[sequenci]

Not heard of that.

 

It's likely the credit card debts *could* be enforceable regardless of how the money was spent.

 

Have they CCA'd their creditors?

[storm]

Gambling debts incurred via credit cards have always been enforceable in the usual ways (subject to valid credit agreements etc)

 

The gambling debts that were unenforceable were debts owed to the bookmakers themselves ie credit account debts

[GTW]

I have heard though of someone who racked up a huge debt on credit cards by on-line gambling over 6 months. He appealed to the credit card lenders saying it must have been obvious to anyone monitoring his account that he had a real problem which was quite clearly spiralling out of control. He argued that, surely as a responsible lender, they should have taken some kind of responsible action (ie stopped his card etc).

 

The credit card company, after some consideration of his situation actually 'wrote off' a large part of his debt.

 

You never know!

 

Regards

 

GTW