Sports Minister Tracey Crouch Resigns over ‘Delay’ To Betting Crackdown

sports betting Minister Tracey Crouch resigns over ‘hold-up’ to wagering crackdown

1 November 2018

sports betting minister Tracey Crouch has actually 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 force in October 2019.

Ms Crouch said pressing back the date was “unjustifiable” and it might cost the lives of problem gamblers.

She tweeted: “Politicians reoccur but principles stay with us permanently.”

Prime Minister Theresa May said she was dissatisfied Ms Crouch had resigned but there had been “no hold-up in bringing forward this essential measure”.

High stakes for fixed-odds sports betting devices

‘ I lost ₤ 250,000 on sports betting makers’

sports betting machine stakes to be cut to ₤ 2

The government has denied Labour claims that MPs had been led to believe the cut would come into 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, execution of these changes are now being postponed till 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 statement to minimize stakes and its execution, over ₤ 1.6 bn will be lost on these devices.

“In addition, two individuals will unfortunately take their lives every day due to gambling-related problems and, because of that as much as any other, I think this delay is unjustifiable.”

She included: “It is a truth of federal government that ministers must adhere to cumulative obligation and can not disagree with policy, not to mention 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 brave” adding: “May God bless her dedication to doing right.”

Former foreign secretary Boris Johnson tweeted, external that she “is worthy of big credit not simply for her project 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 federal government.

Currently, people can bet as much as ₤ 100 every 20 seconds on electronic gambling establishment games such as live roulette. Anti-gambling campaigners state the devices let gamers lose money too quickly, causing addiction and social, mental and monetary issues.

But bookies have cautioned the cut in stakes might lead to thousands of outlets closing.

In her action to Ms Crouch, the PM stated the federal government had listened to those who wanted the modifications to come into effect quicker than April 2020 and “had agreed that the changes must remain in place within the year – by October 2019”.

In his Budget on Monday, the chancellor stated the to fixed-odds stakes would come into force next October at the very same time as modifications to task charged on gambling firms based abroad however operating in the UK.

The government states co-ordinating the date of the two changes would suggest the government would not be hit by a fall in tax earnings.

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 understood for her opposition to fox searching and her love of football – she is a certified 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 various Tory MPs, including Michael Howard and David Davis before standing for election

She had her 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 federal government of “capitulating to the gambling market”.

He praised Ms Crouch’s “bold and principled choice” and said Culture Secretary Jeremy Wright “should be thoroughly ashamed” of prioritising “business interests over victims, profits over public health and greed over great”.

MPs from all sides of the House took part his criticism. Former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith said it must be discussed as part of the Finance Bill later this month.

Week ahead in Parliament: The Finance Bill

He informed the BBC: “There are a lot of individuals whose lives have actually been harmed by this dependency … We need to do this very quickly, as quickly as we can and in the meantime, the gambling industry 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 try and generate the modifications next April.