Sports Minister Tracey Crouch Resigns Over Hold-up To Betting Crackdown
sports betting Minister Tracey Crouch resigns over 'hold-up' to sports betting crackdown
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1 November 2018
sports betting minister Tracey Crouch has resigned over "hold-ups" to a crackdown on optimal stakes for fixed-odds wagering makers.
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Chancellor Philip Hammond said in Monday's Budget that the cut in stakes from ₤ 100 to ₤ 2 would enter force in October 2019.
Ms Crouch stated pushing back the date was "unjustifiable" and it might cost the lives of issue gamblers.
She tweeted: "Politicians come and go but concepts stay with us forever."
Prime Minister Theresa May stated she was disappointed Ms Crouch had resigned however there had been "no delay in advancing this essential step".
High stakes for fixed-odds wagering machines
' I lost ₤ 250,000 on sports betting makers'
sports betting device stakes to be cut to ₤ 2
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The federal government has actually denied Labour claims that MPs had actually been led to believe the cut would enter force at the start of the next tax year, in April 2019. They recommended the cut had actually been meant to be presented in April 2020.
But in her resignation letter, Ms Crouch stated: "Unfortunately, application of these modifications are now being postponed until October 2019 due to dedications made by others to those with registered interests.
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End of twitter post by Tracey Crouch
"From the time of the announcement to minimize stakes and its application, over ₤ 1.6 bn will be lost on these makers.
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"In addition, two individuals will tragically take their lives every day due to gambling-related issues and, because of that as much as any other, I think this delay is unjustifiable."
She added: "It is a fact of government that ministers need to comply with cumulative responsibility and can not disagree with policy, not to mention when it is policy made versus your wishes associating with your own portfolio."
'God bless'
Among those praising her on social media, the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby tweeted, external that she was "principled and courageous" including: "May God bless her dedication to doing right."
Former foreign secretary Boris Johnson tweeted, external that she "is worthy of substantial credit not just for her campaign however for sticking up for her concepts".
Fixed-odds wagering terminals produce ₤ 1.8 bn in revenue a year for the wagering market, according to the Gambling Commission, external, and taxes of ₤ 400m for the federal government.
Currently, people can bet up to ₤ 100 every 20 seconds on electronic casino video games such as roulette. Anti-gambling campaigners state the devices let gamers lose money too quickly, causing addiction and social, mental and monetary issues.
But bookies have actually warned the cut in stakes might lead to thousands of outlets closing.
In her reaction to Ms Crouch, the PM stated the government had actually listened to those who wanted the changes to come into impact quicker than April 2020 and "had agreed that the changes need to remain in place within the year - by October 2019".
In his Budget on Monday, the chancellor said the change to fixed-odds stakes would come into force next October at the exact same time as changes to duty charged on based abroad however operating in the UK.
The government says co-ordinating the date of the two changes would indicate the government would not be hit by a fall in tax profits.
Who is Tracey Crouch?
The 43-year-old MP has represented Chatham and Aylesford, in Kent, given that 2010
She was promoted to the front bench as sports betting minister in 2015
She is known for her opposition to fox hunting and her love of football - she is a competent FA coach
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Grade school educated at Folkestone School for Girls, she went on to get a degree in law and politics from Hull University
She had worked for various Tory MPs, consisting of Michael Howard and David Davis before representing election
She had her first kid in 2016 and is thought to have actually been the first Tory minister to take maternity leave
But in the Commons on Thursday, Labour's deputy leader Tom Watson implicated the government of "capitulating to the gaming industry".
He praised Ms Crouch's "bold and principled decision" and said Culture Secretary Jeremy Wright "must be completely embarrassed" of prioritising "corporate interests over victims, revenues over public health and greed over good".
MPs from all sides of your house participated in his criticism. Former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith said it must be gone over as part of the Finance Bill later on this month.
Week ahead in Parliament: The Finance Bill
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He told the BBC: "There are plenty of people whose lives have actually been harmed by this addiction ... We require to do this very quickly, as rapidly as we can and in the meantime, the gaming market will make about ₤ 1bn as a result of this delay. That's wrong."
Labour has actually told the BBC that they will put down an amendment to the Finance Bill to try and generate the changes next April.
