Sports Minister Tracey Crouch Resigns Over Delay To Betting Crackdown
sports betting Minister Tracey Crouch resigns over 'hold-up' to wagering crackdown
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1 November 2018
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sports betting minister Tracey Crouch has resigned over "delays" to a crackdown on maximum stakes for fixed-odds wagering devices.
Chancellor Philip Hammond said in Monday's Budget that the cut in stakes from ₤ 100 to ₤ 2 would come into force in October 2019.
Ms Crouch said pressing back the date was "unjustifiable" and it could cost the lives of issue gamblers.
She tweeted: "Politicians come and go but concepts stay with us permanently."
Prime Minister Theresa May stated she was dissatisfied Ms Crouch had however there had actually been "no hold-up in advancing this important measure".
High stakes for fixed-odds sports betting devices
' I lost ₤ 250,000 on sports betting devices'
sports betting device stakes to be cut to ₤ 2
The federal government has denied Labour declares that MPs had been led to believe the cut would enter into force at the start of the next tax year, in April 2019. They recommended the cut had actually been planned to be introduced in April 2020.
But in her resignation letter, Ms Crouch said: "Unfortunately, implementation of these changes are now being postponed up 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 statement to decrease stakes and its implementation, over ₤ 1.6 bn will be lost on these machines.
"In addition, 2 individuals will tragically take their lives every day due to gambling-related issues and, because of that as much as any other, I believe this delay is unjustifiable."
She included: "It is a reality of government that ministers should comply with cumulative duty and can not disagree with policy, let alone when it is policy made versus your dreams associating with your own portfolio."
'God bless'
Among those applauding her on social media, the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby tweeted, external that she was "principled and courageous" adding: "May God bless her dedication to doing right."
Former foreign secretary Boris Johnson tweeted, external that she "should have substantial credit not simply for her project but for sticking up for her principles".
Fixed-odds wagering terminals generate ₤ 1.8 bn in revenue a year for the sports betting industry, according to the Gambling Commission, external, and taxes of ₤ 400m for the government.
Currently, people can wager approximately ₤ 100 every 20 seconds on electronic gambling establishment games such as live roulette. Anti-gambling advocates state the machines let gamers lose cash too quickly, causing dependency and social, psychological and monetary issues.
But bookmakers have warned the cut in stakes might lead to thousands of outlets closing.
In her action to Ms Crouch, the PM stated the government had listened to those who desired the modifications to come into impact earlier than April 2020 and "had actually agreed that the changes ought to be in location within the year - by October 2019".
In his Budget on Monday, the chancellor stated the modification to fixed-odds stakes would enter into force next October at the same time as changes to task charged on gaming companies based abroad however operating in the UK.
The government says co-ordinating the date of the two changes would suggest the federal government would not be struck by a fall in tax earnings.
Who is Tracey Crouch?
The 43-year-old MP has actually represented Chatham and Aylesford, in Kent, because 2010
She was promoted to the front bench as sports betting minister in 2015
She is understood for her opposition to fox searching and her love of football - she is a competent FA coach
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 numerous Tory MPs, including Michael Howard and David Davis before representing election
She had her very first child in 2016 and is thought to have been the very 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 gambling industry".
He applauded Ms Crouch's "courageous and principled decision" and stated Culture Secretary Jeremy Wright "ought to be thoroughly embarrassed" of prioritising "business interests over victims, earnings over public health and greed over great".
MPs from all sides of your home took part his criticism. Former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith said it should be discussed as part of the Finance Bill later on this month.
Week ahead in Parliament: The Finance Bill
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He informed the BBC: "There are a lot of individuals whose lives have been damaged by this addiction ... We require to do this extremely quickly, as quickly as we can and in the meantime, the gaming market will make about ₤ 1bn as a result of this hold-up. That's wrong."
Labour has actually informed the BBC that they will put down an amendment to the Finance Bill to try and bring in the changes next April.
