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

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 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 pressing back the date was "unjustifiable" and it could cost the lives of problem gamblers.

She tweeted: "Politicians reoccur but principles remain with us permanently."

Prime Minister Theresa May stated she was dissatisfied Ms Crouch had resigned but there had actually been "no hold-up in advancing this important procedure".

High stakes for fixed-odds wagering makers

' I lost ₤ 250,000 on sports betting devices'

sports betting maker stakes to be cut to ₤ 2

The federal government has actually rejected Labour declares 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 intended to be presented in April 2020.

But in her resignation letter, Ms Crouch said: "Unfortunately, implementation of these changes are now being delayed till 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 announcement to reduce stakes and its application, over ₤ 1.6 bn will be lost on these machines.

"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 hold-up is unjustifiable."

She included: "It is a reality of federal government that ministers need to follow collective duty and can not disagree with policy, not to mention when it is policy made against your desires relating to 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 bold" including: "May God bless her commitment to doing right."

Former foreign secretary Boris Johnson tweeted, external that she "deserves substantial credit not just for her campaign but for sticking up for her principles".

Fixed-odds wagering terminals generate ₤ 1.8 bn in a year for the sports betting industry, according to the Gambling Commission, external, and taxes of ₤ 400m for the federal government.

Currently, individuals can wager up to ₤ 100 every 20 seconds on electronic gambling establishment games such as live roulette. Anti-gambling campaigners state the machines let players lose cash too rapidly, causing dependency and social, psychological and financial issues.

But bookies have cautioned the cut in stakes could cause thousands of outlets closing.

In her action to Ms Crouch, the PM said the federal government had actually listened to those who wanted the changes to come into result quicker than April 2020 and "had concurred that the changes must be in place 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 task charged on sports betting companies based abroad however running in the UK.

The government states co-ordinating the date of the two changes would suggest 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, because 2010

She was promoted to the front bench as sports betting minister in 2015

She is known 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 worked for different Tory MPs, consisting of Michael Howard and David Davis before representing election

She had her first kid in 2016 and is believed to have actually been the very 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 gaming market".

He applauded Ms Crouch's "brave and principled choice" and stated 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 the House took part his criticism. Former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith said it should 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 informed the BBC: "There are lots of individuals whose lives have been damaged by this addiction ... We require to do this very quickly, as rapidly as we can and in the meantime, the sports betting market will make about ₤ 1bn as an outcome of this delay. That's wrong."

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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