sports betting Minister Tracey Crouch resigns over 'delay' to sports betting crackdown
1 November 2018
sports betting minister Tracey Crouch has resigned over "hold-ups" to a crackdown on optimal stakes for fixed-odds sports betting devices.
Chancellor Philip Hammond stated in Monday's Budget that the cut in stakes from ₤ 100 to ₤ 2 would come into force in October 2019.
Ms Crouch said pushing back the date was "unjustifiable" and it might cost the lives of problem gamblers.
She tweeted: "Politicians come and go but principles stick with us forever."
Prime Minister Theresa May said she was dissatisfied Ms Crouch had actually resigned but there had been "no hold-up in bringing forward this essential step".
High stakes for fixed-odds wagering machines
' I lost ₤ 250,000 on wagering machines'
sports betting maker stakes to be cut to ₤ 2
The federal government has actually rejected Labour claims 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 been meant to be introduced in April 2020.
But in her resignation letter, Ms Crouch said: "Unfortunately, implementation of these modifications are now being delayed till 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 application, over ₤ 1.6 bn will be lost on these devices.
"In addition, 2 individuals will unfortunately 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."
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She added: "It is a reality of government that ministers should stick to cumulative responsibility and can not disagree with policy, not to mention when it is policy made against your desires associating with your own portfolio."
'God bless'
Among those applauding her on social networks, the Archbishop of 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 "deserves huge credit not just for her campaign but for sticking up for her principles".
Fixed-odds sports betting terminals create ₤ 1.8 bn in income a year for the sports betting industry, according to the Gambling Commission, external, and taxes of ₤ 400m for the government.
Currently, people can wager up to ₤ 100 every 20 seconds on electronic gambling establishment video games such as roulette. Anti-gambling campaigners state the devices let gamers lose money too rapidly, resulting in addiction and social, psychological and financial problems.
But bookmakers have cautioned the cut in stakes might lead to thousands of outlets closing.
In her reaction to Ms Crouch, the PM stated the federal government had listened to those who wanted the changes to come into result faster than April 2020 and "had concurred that the changes need 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 come into force next October at the very same time as modifications to task charged on gambling firms based abroad but operating in the UK.
The government states co-ordinating the date of the 2 changes would mean the federal government would not be hit by a fall in tax income.
Who is Tracey Crouch?
The 43-year-old MP has actually represented Chatham and Aylesford, in Kent, given that 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 certified FA coach
Grammar school educated at Folkestone School for Girls, she went on to get a degree in law and politics from Hull University
She had actually worked for various Tory MPs, including Michael Howard and David Davis before standing for election
She had her first child in 2016 and is believed 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 federal government of "capitulating to the sports betting market".
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He applauded Ms Crouch's "bold and principled choice" and said Culture Secretary Jeremy Wright "ought to be thoroughly ashamed" of prioritising "corporate interests over victims, earnings over public health and greed over excellent".
MPs from all sides of your house participated in his criticism. Former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith said it needs to be gone over as part of the Finance Bill later this month.
Week ahead in Parliament: The Finance Bill
He told the BBC: "There are plenty of individuals whose lives have actually been damaged by this addiction ... We need to do this very rapidly, as quickly as we can and in the meantime, the gambling market will make about ₤ 1bn as an outcome of this delay. That's not ideal."
Labour has told the BBC that they will put down a modification to the Finance Bill to attempt and generate the modifications next April.
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Sports Minister Tracey Crouch Resigns over 'Delay' To Betting Crackdown
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