sports betting Minister Tracey Crouch resigns over 'hold-up' to sports betting crackdown
1 November 2018
sports betting minister Tracey Crouch has actually resigned over "delays" to a crackdown on optimal stakes for fixed-odds wagering devices.
Chancellor Philip Hammond stated in Monday's Budget that the cut in stakes from ₤ 100 to ₤ 2 would enter force in October 2019.
Ms Crouch stated pressing back the date was "unjustifiable" and it might cost the lives of issue gamblers.
She tweeted: "Politicians come and go but principles stick with us forever."
Prime Minister Theresa May stated she was disappointed Ms Crouch had resigned but there had been "no delay in bringing forward this essential procedure".
High stakes for fixed-odds wagering machines
' I lost ₤ 250,000 on wagering devices'
sports betting maker stakes to be cut to ₤ 2
The federal government has actually rejected Labour declares that MPs had been led to believe the cut would enter force at the start of the next tax year, in April 2019. They recommended 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 up 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 decrease stakes and its execution, over ₤ 1.6 bn will be lost on these makers.
"In addition, 2 people will tragically take their lives every day due to gambling-related problems and, because of that as much as any other, I believe this hold-up is unjustifiable."
She added: "It is a fact of government that ministers must stick to collective duty and can not disagree with policy, not to mention when it is policy made versus your wishes associating with 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 bold" adding: "May God bless her dedication to doing right."
Former foreign secretary Boris Johnson tweeted, external that she "deserves substantial credit not simply for her campaign however for sticking up for her principles".
Fixed-odds sports betting terminals produce ₤ 1.8 bn in revenue a year for the wagering market, according to the Gambling Commission, external, and taxes of ₤ 400m for the federal government.
Currently, individuals can wager as much as ₤ 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, leading to dependency and social, psychological and monetary issues.
But bookmakers have actually warned the cut in stakes could result in thousands of outlets closing.
In her action to Ms Crouch, the PM stated the government had actually listened to those who wanted the modifications to come into effect sooner than April 2020 and "had actually agreed that the changes ought to remain in location 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 but running in the UK.
The federal government states co-ordinating the date of the two modifications would mean the government would not be hit 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 hunting and her love of football - she is a competent 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 meaning election
She had her first child 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 government of "capitulating to the sports betting market".
He praised Ms Crouch's "brave and principled decision" and said Culture Secretary Jeremy Wright "ought 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 should be gone over as part of the Finance Bill later this month.
Week ahead in Parliament: The Finance Bill
He informed the BBC: "There are a lot of individuals whose lives have been damaged by this addiction ... We need to do this very rapidly, as quickly as we can and in the meantime, the sports betting industry will make about ₤ 1bn as a result of this delay. That's not best."
Labour has actually told the BBC that they will put down a modification to the Finance Bill to attempt and generate the modifications next April.
