Sports Minister Tracey Crouch Resigns over 'Delay' To Betting Crackdown

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

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

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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 stated in Monday's Budget that the cut in stakes from ₤ 100 to ₤ 2 would come into force in October 2019.


Ms Crouch said pressing back the date was "unjustifiable" and it might cost the lives of problem bettors.


She tweeted: "Politicians come and go but concepts remain with us permanently."


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


High stakes for fixed-odds wagering makers


' I lost ₤ 250,000 on wagering devices'


sports betting device stakes to be cut to ₤ 2


The federal government has actually denied Labour declares that MPs had been led to think the cut would come into force at the start of the next tax year, in April 2019. They suggested the cut had been meant to be introduced in April 2020.


But in her resignation letter, Ms Crouch said: "Unfortunately, application of these modifications are now being delayed up until October 2019 due to dedications made by others to those with registered interests.


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End of twitter post by Tracey Crouch


"From the time of the statement to minimize stakes and its application, over ₤ 1.6 bn will be lost on these machines.


"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 think this hold-up is unjustifiable."


She added: "It is a fact of government that ministers need to follow collective responsibility and can not disagree with policy, not to mention when it is policy made versus your dreams 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 bold" adding: "May God bless her commitment to doing right."


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


Fixed-odds sports betting terminals create ₤ 1.8 bn in profits a year for the sports betting market, according to the Gambling Commission, external, and taxes of ₤ 400m for the government.


Currently, people can wager up to ₤ 100 every 20 seconds on electronic casino games such as roulette. Anti-gambling advocates say the machines let gamers lose cash too rapidly, leading to dependency and social, psychological and financial issues.


But bookmakers have actually alerted the cut in stakes could lead to thousands of outlets closing.


In her response to Ms Crouch, the PM stated the federal government had actually listened to those who desired the modifications to come into result quicker than April 2020 and "had concurred that the changes should remain in location within the year - by October 2019".


In his Budget on Monday, the chancellor stated the change to fixed-odds stakes would enter into force next October at the same time as changes to responsibility charged on gaming firms based abroad but operating in the UK.


The federal government says co-ordinating the date of the two changes would indicate the government would not be struck by a fall in tax revenue.


Who is Tracey Crouch?


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


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


She is known for her opposition to fox searching 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, including Michael Howard and David Davis before standing for election


She had her very first kid 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 accused the government of "capitulating to the sports betting industry".


He praised Ms Crouch's "courageous and principled decision" and stated Culture Secretary Jeremy Wright "must be completely ashamed" of prioritising "business interests over victims, profits over public health and greed over good".


MPs from all sides of your home participated his criticism. Former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith said it should be talked about as part of the Finance Bill later this month.


Week ahead in Parliament: The Finance Bill

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He told the BBC: "There are a lot of people whose lives have been harmed by this addiction ... We need to do this really quickly, as quickly as we can and in the meantime, the gaming industry will make about ₤ 1bn as an outcome of this hold-up. That's not best."


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

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