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
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sports betting minister Tracey Crouch has actually resigned over "delays" to a crackdown on optimal stakes for fixed-odds sports betting machines.
Chancellor Philip Hammond stated in Monday's Budget that the cut in stakes from ₤ 100 to ₤ 2 would enter force in October 2019.
Ms Crouch said pressing back the date was "unjustifiable" and it could cost the lives of issue bettors.
She tweeted: "Politicians reoccur however principles stay with us permanently."
Prime Minister Theresa May stated she was dissatisfied Ms Crouch had actually resigned however there had actually been "no delay in bringing forward this important measure".
High stakes for fixed-odds sports betting makers
' I lost ₤ 250,000 on sports betting devices'
sports betting machine stakes to be cut to ₤ 2
The federal government has denied Labour declares that MPs had been led to believe the cut would enter force at the start of the next tax year, in April 2019. They suggested the cut had actually been meant to be presented in April 2020.
But in her resignation letter, Ms Crouch said: "Unfortunately, execution of these changes are now being postponed up until October 2019 due to dedications made by others to those with signed up interests.
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End of twitter post by Tracey Crouch
"From the time of the announcement to lower stakes and its execution, over ₤ 1.6 bn will be lost on these machines.
"In addition, two people will tragically take their lives every day due to gambling-related problems and, because of that as much as any other, I believe this hold-up is unjustifiable."
She added: "It is a reality of government that ministers need to abide by cumulative duty 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 Canterbury Justin Welby tweeted, external that she was "principled and courageous" adding: "May God bless her commitment to doing right."
Former foreign secretary Boris Johnson tweeted, external that she "should have big credit not just for her campaign however for sticking up for her principles".
Fixed-odds sports betting terminals create ₤ 1.8 bn in earnings a year for the sports betting industry, according to the Gambling Commission, external, and taxes of ₤ 400m for the government.
Currently, individuals 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 cash too rapidly, leading to dependency and social, psychological and monetary problems.
But bookmakers have actually cautioned the cut in stakes could lead to thousands of outlets closing.
In her action to Ms Crouch, the PM stated the government had listened to those who desired the changes to come into result faster than April 2020 and "had actually agreed that the modifications ought to remain in location within the year - by October 2019".
In his Budget on Monday, the chancellor said the change to fixed-odds stakes would enter into force next October at the exact same time as changes to responsibility charged on sports betting companies based abroad but operating in the UK.
The federal government states co-ordinating the date of the 2 modifications would imply the government would not be hit by a fall in tax revenue.
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Who is Tracey Crouch?
The 43-year-old MP has represented Chatham and Aylesford, in Kent, since 2010
She was promoted to the front bench as sports betting minister in 2015
She is understood for her opposition to fox hunting 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 actually worked for different Tory MPs, including Michael Howard and David Davis before standing for election
She had her very first kid in 2016 and is believed to have 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 industry".
He praised Ms Crouch's "courageous and principled decision" and said Culture Secretary Jeremy Wright "ought to be thoroughly embarrassed" of prioritising "corporate 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 stated it needs to be talked about as part of the Finance Bill later this month.
Week ahead in Parliament: The Bill
He informed the BBC: "There are lots of people whose lives have been damaged by this dependency ... We require to do this extremely rapidly, as rapidly as we can and in the meantime, the sports betting market will make about ₤ 1bn as an outcome of this hold-up. That's not ideal."
Labour has actually told the BBC that they will put down a change to the Finance Bill to attempt and bring in the changes next April.
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