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Sports Minister Tracey Crouch Resigns over ‘Delay’ To Betting Crackdown

sports betting Minister Tracey Crouch resigns over ‘hold-up’ to wagering crackdown

1 November 2018

sports betting minister Tracey Crouch has resigned over “delays” to a crackdown on optimal stakes for fixed-odds wagering machines.

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 stated pushing back the date was “unjustifiable” and it could cost the lives of issue bettors.

She tweeted: “Politicians come and go but principles stick with us permanently.”

Prime Minister Theresa May said she was disappointed Ms Crouch had actually resigned but there had been “no delay in bringing forward this important step”.

High stakes for fixed-odds wagering machines

‘ I lost ₤ 250,000 on sports betting machines’

sports betting maker stakes to be cut to ₤ 2

The government has rejected Labour claims that MPs had actually been led to think the cut would come into force at the start of the next tax year, in April 2019. They suggested the cut had been planned to be introduced in April 2020.

But in her resignation letter, Ms Crouch said: “Unfortunately, execution of these modifications are now being delayed up until October 2019 due to commitments 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 reduce 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 problems and, because of that as much as any other, I think this hold-up is unjustifiable.”

She added: “It is a fact of federal government that ministers should abide by collective obligation and can not disagree with policy, not to mention when it is policy made against your wishes connecting to 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 huge credit not simply for her project however for sticking up for her principles”.

Fixed-odds wagering terminals create ₤ 1.8 bn in profits a year for the wagering market, according to the Gambling Commission, external, and taxes of ₤ 400m for the federal government.

Currently, people can wager up to ₤ 100 every 20 seconds on electronic gambling establishment games such as live roulette. Anti-gambling campaigners state the machines let gamers lose cash too rapidly, resulting in addiction and social, mental and monetary problems.

But bookies have actually cautioned the cut in stakes might lead to countless outlets closing.

In her reaction to Ms Crouch, the PM said the federal government had listened to those who wanted the changes to come into result faster than April 2020 and “had actually agreed that the modifications need to remain in place within the year – by October 2019”.

In his Budget on Monday, the chancellor stated the change to stakes would enter force next October at the same time as changes to duty charged on gambling companies based abroad but running in the UK.

The federal government states co-ordinating the date of the 2 modifications would mean the federal government would not be struck by a fall in tax profits.

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 qualified 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 numerous Tory MPs, consisting of Michael Howard and David Davis before meaning election

She had her first kid in 2016 and is thought to have been the first Tory minister to take maternity leave

But in the Commons on Thursday, Labour’s deputy leader Tom Watson accused the federal government of “capitulating to the gaming market”.

He applauded Ms Crouch’s “courageous and principled choice” and stated Culture Secretary Jeremy Wright “need to be thoroughly ashamed” of prioritising “corporate interests over victims, earnings over public health and greed over excellent”.

MPs from all sides of your home participated his criticism. Former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith stated it needs to be talked about as part of the Finance Bill later on this month.

Week ahead in Parliament: The Finance Bill

He told the BBC: “There are plenty of people whose lives have actually been harmed by this dependency … We need to do this very quickly, as quickly 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 right.”

Labour has actually informed the BBC that they will put down an amendment to the Finance Bill to attempt and bring in the changes next April.