Sports Minister Tracey Crouch Resigns Over Hold-up To Betting Crackdown
sports betting Minister Tracey Crouch resigns over 'delay' to sports betting 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 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 pressing back the date was "unjustifiable" and it could cost the lives of problem gamblers.
She tweeted: "Politicians come and go but principles stick with us permanently."
Prime Minister Theresa May stated she was disappointed Ms Crouch had actually resigned but there had been "no hold-up in bringing forward this important measure".
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 rejected Labour declares that MPs had actually been led to believe the cut would come into force at the start of the next tax year, in April 2019. They recommended the cut had been planned to be introduced in April 2020.
But in her resignation letter, Ms Crouch said: "Unfortunately, implementation of these changes 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 reduce stakes and its implementation, over ₤ 1.6 bn will be lost on these devices.
"In addition, 2 individuals will unfortunately take their lives every day due to gambling-related issues and, for that factor as much as any other, I think this delay is unjustifiable."
She included: "It is a truth of government that ministers should follow cumulative 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 media, the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby tweeted, external that she was "principled and brave" adding: "May God bless her dedication to doing right."
Former foreign secretary Boris Johnson tweeted, external that she "should have substantial credit not just for her campaign however for sticking up for her principles".
Fixed-odds sports betting 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 federal government.
Currently, people can wager approximately ₤ 100 every 20 seconds on electronic casino games such as live roulette. Anti-gambling campaigners state the machines let gamers lose cash too quickly, resulting in dependency and social, psychological and monetary problems.
But bookies have actually alerted the cut in stakes might cause countless outlets closing.
In her action to Ms Crouch, the PM stated the federal government had actually listened to those who wanted the modifications to come into result faster than April 2020 and "had concurred that the changes need to remain in place within the year - by October 2019".
In his Budget on Monday, the chancellor stated the modification to fixed-odds stakes would enter force next October at the same time as modifications to responsibility charged on gaming firms based abroad but running in the UK.
The government states co-ordinating the date of the 2 modifications would imply the federal government would not be struck by a fall in tax earnings.
Who is Tracey Crouch?
The 43-year-old MP has actually and Aylesford, in Kent, because 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 certified FA coach
Grammar 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 numerous Tory MPs, consisting of Michael Howard and David Davis before standing for election
She had her first kid in 2016 and is believed to have been the first Tory minister to take maternity leave
But in the Commons on Thursday, Labour's deputy leader Tom Watson accused the federal government of "capitulating to the gaming industry".
He applauded Ms Crouch's "brave and principled decision" and said Culture Secretary Jeremy Wright "should be thoroughly ashamed" of prioritising "business interests over victims, earnings over public health and greed over excellent".
MPs from all sides of your house participated in his criticism. Former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith stated it ought 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 informed the BBC: "There are lots of individuals whose lives have actually been harmed by this dependency ... We require to do this really quickly, as quickly as we can and in the meantime, the gaming market will make about ₤ 1bn as a result of this hold-up. That's wrong."
Labour has actually told 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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