sports betting Minister Tracey Crouch resigns over 'hold-up' to wagering crackdown
1 November 2018
sports betting minister Tracey Crouch has actually resigned over "hold-ups" to a crackdown on optimal stakes for fixed-odds sports betting machines.
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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 pressing back the date was "unjustifiable" and it could cost the lives of problem bettors.
She tweeted: "Politicians come and go but principles stay with us forever."
Prime Minister Theresa May stated she was dissatisfied Ms Crouch had resigned but there had been "no delay in advancing this essential step".
High stakes for fixed-odds wagering makers
' I lost ₤ 250,000 on wagering devices'
sports betting machine stakes to be cut to ₤ 2
The government has actually denied 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 suggested the cut had actually been intended to be presented in April 2020.
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But in her resignation letter, Ms Crouch said: "Unfortunately, execution of these modifications are now being postponed 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 statement to lower stakes and its execution, over ₤ 1.6 bn will be lost on these devices.
"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 think this hold-up is unjustifiable."
She added: "It is a fact of federal government that ministers should comply with cumulative responsibility and can not disagree with policy, let alone when it is policy made against your wishes 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 bold" including: "May God bless her dedication to doing right."
Former foreign secretary Boris Johnson tweeted, external that she "should have substantial credit not just for her campaign however for sticking up for her principles".
Fixed-odds sports betting terminals generate ₤ 1.8 bn in profits a year for the sports betting industry, according to the Gambling Commission, external, and taxes of ₤ 400m for the government.
Currently, individuals can bet as much as ₤ 100 every 20 seconds on electronic gambling establishment video games such as live roulette. Anti-gambling campaigners say the machines let players lose money too quickly, resulting in addiction and social, psychological and monetary problems.
But bookmakers have actually alerted the cut in stakes might result in countless outlets closing.
In her action to Ms Crouch, the PM said the federal government had listened to those who desired the changes to come into effect earlier than April 2020 and "had actually concurred that the modifications must be in place within the year - by October 2019".
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In his Budget on Monday, the chancellor said the modification to fixed-odds stakes would enter force next October at the same time as changes to responsibility charged on gaming firms based abroad but operating in the UK.
The government states co-ordinating the date of the 2 changes would suggest the government would not be hit by a fall in tax income.
Who is Tracey Crouch?
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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 known for her opposition to fox searching and her love of football - she is a certified 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, consisting of Michael Howard and David Davis before representing election
She had her first child 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 implicated the government of "capitulating to the gambling market".
He applauded Ms Crouch's "bold and principled decision" and stated Culture Secretary "must be completely embarrassed" of prioritising "corporate interests over victims, revenues over public health and greed over good".
MPs from all sides of your house signed up with in his criticism. Former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith said it ought to be gone over as part of the Finance Bill later on this month.
Week ahead in Parliament: The Finance Bill
He told the BBC: "There are a lot of people whose lives have been harmed by this dependency ... We need to do this really quickly, as rapidly as we can and in the meantime, the gambling industry 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 modification to the Finance Bill to attempt and bring in the modifications next April.
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Sports Minister Tracey Crouch Resigns over 'Delay' To Betting Crackdown
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