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 "hold-ups" to a crackdown on optimal stakes for fixed-odds wagering makers.
Chancellor Philip Hammond said in Monday's Budget that the cut in stakes from ₤ 100 to ₤ 2 would enter force in October 2019.
Ms Crouch said pushing back the date was "unjustifiable" and it might cost the lives of problem gamblers.
She tweeted: "Politicians come and go however concepts remain with us forever."
Prime Minister Theresa May stated she was dissatisfied Ms Crouch had resigned however there had actually been "no delay in advancing this essential procedure".
High stakes for fixed-odds sports betting machines
' I lost ₤ 250,000 on wagering makers'
sports betting device stakes to be cut to ₤ 2
The government has denied Labour declares that MPs had been led to think the cut would enter force at the start of the next tax year, in April 2019. They suggested the cut had actually been planned to be presented in April 2020.
But in her resignation letter, Ms Crouch stated: "Unfortunately, application of these modifications are now being postponed up until October 2019 due to commitments 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 announcement to minimize stakes and its implementation, 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 believe this delay is unjustifiable."
She included: "It is a fact of federal government that ministers must follow cumulative obligation and can not disagree with policy, let alone when it is policy made versus your desires 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 courageous" adding: "May God bless her commitment to doing right."
Former foreign secretary Boris Johnson tweeted, external that she "deserves substantial credit not simply for her project however for sticking up for her concepts".
Fixed-odds wagering terminals generate ₤ 1.8 bn in income a year for the wagering industry, according to the Gambling Commission, external, and taxes of ₤ 400m for the federal government.
Currently, people can bet approximately ₤ 100 every 20 seconds on electronic gambling establishment video games such as live roulette. Anti-gambling advocates state the makers let gamers lose money too quickly, resulting in addiction and social, psychological and financial problems.
But bookmakers have actually cautioned the cut in stakes could cause countless outlets closing.
In her response to Ms Crouch, the PM said the government had listened to those who wanted the changes to come into impact faster than April 2020 and "had concurred that the changes should be in location within the year - by October 2019".
In his Budget on Monday, the chancellor stated the modification to fixed-odds stakes would come into force next October at the exact same time as modifications to duty charged on gambling firms based abroad however operating in the UK.
The federal government states co-ordinating the date of the 2 changes would mean the government would not be struck by a fall in tax revenue.
Who is Tracey Crouch?
The 43-year-old MP has represented Chatham and Aylesford, in Kent, considering 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, including Michael Howard and David Davis before representing election
She had her very first kid in 2016 and is thought 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 federal government of "capitulating to the gambling industry".
He applauded Ms Crouch's "brave and principled decision" and stated Culture Secretary Jeremy Wright "must be completely ashamed" of prioritising "corporate interests over victims, revenues over public health and greed over excellent".
MPs from all sides of your house participated in his criticism. Former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith said it ought to 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 lots of individuals whose lives have been harmed by this dependency ... We require to do this really quickly, as rapidly as we can and in the meantime, the gambling market will make about ₤ 1bn as a result of this hold-up. That's not ideal."
Labour has told the BBC that they will put down a change to the Finance Bill to attempt and bring in the modifications next April.
