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 sports betting crackdown
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1 November 2018
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sports betting minister Tracey Crouch has resigned over "delays" to a crackdown on optimal stakes for fixed-odds wagering devices.
Chancellor Philip Hammond said in Monday's Budget that the cut in stakes from ₤ 100 to ₤ 2 would enter into force in October 2019.
Ms Crouch stated pressing back the date was "unjustifiable" and it might cost the lives of problem bettors.
She tweeted: "Politicians reoccur however concepts stick with us forever."
Prime Minister Theresa May said she was disappointed Ms Crouch had resigned however there had actually been "no delay in advancing this crucial measure".
High stakes for fixed-odds sports betting machines
' I lost ₤ 250,000 on sports betting makers'
sports betting maker stakes to be cut to ₤ 2
The government has rejected Labour claims that MPs had actually 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 meant to be presented in April 2020.
But in her resignation letter, Ms Crouch said: "Unfortunately, execution of these changes are now being postponed 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 reduce stakes and its execution, over ₤ 1.6 bn will be lost on these makers.
"In addition, 2 individuals will unfortunately 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 reality of federal government that ministers should abide by collective duty and can not disagree with policy, let alone when it is policy made against your desires relating 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 courageous" adding: "May God bless her dedication to doing right."
Former foreign secretary Boris Johnson tweeted, external that she "deserves huge credit not simply for her project but for sticking up for her concepts".
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 federal government.
Currently, individuals can bet as much as ₤ 100 every 20 seconds on electronic gambling establishment games such as live roulette. Anti-gambling advocates say the machines let gamers lose money too quickly, leading to dependency and social, mental and monetary issues.
But bookmakers have cautioned the cut in stakes could cause thousands of outlets closing.
In her action to Ms Crouch, the PM stated the federal government had actually listened to those who desired the changes to come into effect sooner than April 2020 and "had actually agreed that the modifications ought to remain in location within the year - by October 2019".
In his Budget on Monday, the chancellor stated the modification to fixed-odds stakes would enter into force next October at the exact same time as changes to task charged on gaming companies based abroad however operating in the UK.
The federal government states co-ordinating the date of the 2 changes would mean the federal government would not be hit by a fall in tax revenue.
Who is Tracey Crouch?
The 43-year-old MP has represented Chatham and Aylesford, in Kent, since 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 competent FA coach
Grade school informed at Folkestone School for Girls, she went on to get a degree in law and politics from Hull University
She had actually worked for numerous Tory MPs, of Michael Howard and David Davis before meaning election
She had her very 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 federal government of "capitulating to the sports betting industry".
He applauded Ms Crouch's "courageous and principled choice" and stated Culture Secretary Jeremy Wright "must be completely embarrassed" of prioritising "corporate interests over victims, profits over public health and greed over good".
MPs from all sides of your home participated in his criticism. Former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith said it must 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 lots of individuals whose lives have been harmed by this addiction ... We need to do this really rapidly, as rapidly as we can and in the meantime, the sports betting market will make about ₤ 1bn as an outcome of this hold-up. That's not ideal."
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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