Sports Minister Tracey Crouch Resigns over 'Hold-up' To Betting Crackdown

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Sports Minister Tracey Crouch resigns over 'delay' to wagering crackdown

sports betting Minister Tracey Crouch resigns over 'delay' to wagering crackdown


1 November 2018


sports betting minister Tracey Crouch has resigned over "delays" to a crackdown on maximum stakes for fixed-odds wagering machines.


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 stated pressing back the date was "unjustifiable" and it might cost the lives of problem gamblers.


She tweeted: "Politicians come and go however concepts stick with us forever."


Prime Minister Theresa May stated she was dissatisfied Ms Crouch had resigned however there had been "no hold-up in advancing this important step".


High stakes for fixed-odds sports betting devices


' I lost ₤ 250,000 on sports betting machines'


sports betting machine stakes to be cut to ₤ 2


The federal government has actually rejected Labour claims that MPs had actually 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 meant to be presented in April 2020.


But in her resignation letter, Ms Crouch said: "Unfortunately, application of these modifications 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

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"From the time of the announcement to decrease stakes and its application, over ₤ 1.6 bn will be lost on these makers.


"In addition, two 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 included: "It is a fact of government that ministers must abide by cumulative obligation and can not disagree with policy, not to mention when it is policy made against your wishes connecting to your own portfolio."


'God bless'

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Among those praising her on social media, the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby tweeted, external that she was "principled and courageous" including: "May God bless her dedication to doing right."


Former foreign secretary Boris Johnson tweeted, external that she "should have huge credit not just for her campaign however for sticking up for her concepts".


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 federal government.


Currently, individuals can bet as much as ₤ 100 every 20 seconds on electronic gambling establishment video games such as live roulette. Anti-gambling advocates state the makers let players lose cash too rapidly, leading to addiction and social, psychological and financial problems.

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But bookmakers have actually warned the cut in stakes could result in countless outlets closing.


In her reaction to Ms Crouch, the PM said the federal government had actually listened to those who desired the modifications to come into impact quicker than April 2020 and "had concurred that the modifications ought to remain in place within the year - by October 2019".


In his Budget on Monday, the chancellor said the change to fixed-odds stakes would enter into force next October at the very same time as changes to responsibility charged on gambling companies based abroad however operating in the UK.


The government says co-ordinating the date of the two modifications would imply the government would not be struck by a fall in tax earnings.


Who is Tracey Crouch?


The 43-year-old MP has actually represented Chatham and Aylesford, in Kent, because 2010

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She was promoted to the front bench as sports betting minister in 2015


She is known for her opposition to fox hunting and her love of football - she is a qualified 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 worked for various 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 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 gaming industry".


He applauded Ms Crouch's "bold and principled decision" and stated Culture Secretary Jeremy Wright "should be completely embarrassed" of prioritising "business interests over victims, revenues over public health and greed over excellent".


MPs from all sides of your house took part his criticism. Former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith stated it needs to be talked about as part of the Finance Bill later this month.

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Week ahead in Parliament: The Finance Bill


He informed the BBC: "There are plenty of people whose lives have been damaged by this dependency ... We need to do this extremely rapidly, as quickly as we can and in the meantime, the sports betting market will make about ₤ 1bn as an outcome of this delay. That's not best."


Labour has actually informed the BBC that they will put down a change to the Finance Bill to attempt and generate the changes next April.

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