Sports Minister Tracey Crouch Resigns Over Hold-up To Betting Crackdown
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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 maximum 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 said she was dissatisfied Ms Crouch had actually resigned however there had actually been "no hold-up in bringing forward this crucial measure".
High stakes for fixed-odds wagering devices
' I lost ₤ 250,000 on sports betting makers'
sports betting machine stakes to be cut to ₤ 2
The government has rejected Labour declares that MPs had been led to think the cut would enter into 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, implementation of these changes are now being delayed till 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 execution, 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 problems and, for that factor as much as any other, I think this delay is unjustifiable."
She added: "It is a fact of federal government that ministers must abide by collective duty and can not disagree with policy, let alone when it is policy made against your wishes connecting to your own portfolio."
'God bless'
Among those praising her on social networks, the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby tweeted, external that she was "principled and bold" adding: "May God bless her commitment to doing right."
Former foreign secretary Boris Johnson tweeted, external that she "is worthy of substantial credit not just for her project however for sticking up for her principles".
Fixed-odds wagering terminals produce ₤ 1.8 bn in income a year for the wagering 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 makers let gamers lose money too quickly, leading to dependency and social, mental and financial problems.
But bookmakers have actually alerted the cut in stakes might result in thousands of outlets closing.
In her response to Ms Crouch, the PM said the government had listened to those who desired the changes to come into result earlier than April 2020 and "had agreed that the modifications need to remain in place within the year - by October 2019".
In his Budget on Monday, the chancellor said the modification to fixed-odds stakes would come into force next October at the exact same time as changes to duty charged on gaming companies based abroad however running in the UK.
The government states co-ordinating the date of the two modifications would indicate the federal government would not be hit by a fall in tax earnings.
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 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 various Tory MPs, consisting of Michael Howard and David Davis before representing election
She had her first child in 2016 and is believed to have been the very first Tory minister to take maternity leave
But in the Commons on Thursday, Labour's deputy leader Tom Watson implicated the of "capitulating to the gaming industry".
He praised Ms Crouch's "bold and principled choice" and stated Culture Secretary Jeremy Wright "should be completely ashamed" of prioritising "corporate interests over victims, earnings over public health and greed over good".
MPs from all sides of your home participated in his criticism. Former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith stated it needs to 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 told the BBC: "There are a lot of people whose lives have been damaged by this dependency ... We require to do this extremely quickly, as rapidly as we can and in the meantime, the gaming market will make about ₤ 1bn as an outcome of this delay. That's wrong."
Labour has actually informed the BBC that they will put down an amendment to the Finance Bill to try and bring in the modifications next April.