sports betting Minister Tracey Crouch resigns over 'delay' to wagering crackdown
1 November 2018
sports betting minister Tracey Crouch has actually resigned over "delays" to a crackdown on optimal stakes for fixed-odds wagering machines.
Chancellor Philip Hammond said 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 bettors.
She tweeted: "Politicians reoccur but concepts stick with us forever."
Prime Minister Theresa May said she was disappointed Ms Crouch had resigned however there had actually been "no hold-up in bringing forward this important procedure".
High stakes for fixed-odds wagering devices
' I lost ₤ 250,000 on sports betting machines'
sports betting machine stakes to be cut to ₤ 2
The government has denied Labour claims that MPs had actually 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 introduced in April 2020.
But in her resignation letter, Ms Crouch stated: "Unfortunately, application 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 minimize stakes and its implementation, over ₤ 1.6 bn will be lost on these makers.
"In addition, 2 people will unfortunately take their lives every day due to gambling-related problems and, because of that as much as any other, I think this delay is unjustifiable."
She included: "It is a truth of government that ministers should stick to cumulative obligation and can not disagree with policy, let alone when it is policy made against your desires connecting to 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 brave" including: "May God bless her dedication to doing right."
Former foreign secretary Boris Johnson tweeted, external that she "is worthy of substantial credit not simply for her campaign however for sticking up for her principles".
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Fixed-odds wagering terminals generate ₤ 1.8 bn in revenue a year for the sports betting market, according to the Gambling Commission, external, and taxes of ₤ 400m for the government.
Currently, people can wager as much as ₤ 100 every 20 seconds on electronic casino video games such as live roulette. Anti-gambling advocates state the makers let gamers lose money too quickly, leading to addiction and social, mental and financial problems.
But bookmakers have actually cautioned the cut in stakes might lead to thousands of outlets closing.
In her response to Ms Crouch, the PM stated the federal government had listened to those who wanted the changes to come into effect faster than April 2020 and "had agreed that the changes ought to remain in location within the year - by October 2019".
In his Budget on Monday, the chancellor stated the change to fixed-odds stakes would enter force next October at the exact same time as changes to responsibility charged on gambling firms based abroad however running in the UK.
The government says co-ordinating the date of the two changes would suggest the federal government would not be hit by a fall in tax income.
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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
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She is for her opposition to fox hunting and her love of football - she is a certified FA coach
Grammar school informed 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, 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 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 completely embarrassed" of prioritising "corporate interests over victims, profits over public health and greed over good".
MPs from all sides of the House signed up with in his criticism. Former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith said it must be talked about as part of the Finance Bill later on this month.
Week ahead in Parliament: The Finance Bill
He informed the BBC: "There are plenty of individuals whose lives have actually been harmed by this addiction ... We require 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 best."
Labour has actually told the BBC that they will put down a change to the Finance Bill to attempt and bring in the modifications next April.
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Sports Minister Tracey Crouch Resigns over 'Hold up' To Betting Crackdown
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