sports betting Minister Tracey Crouch resigns over ‘hold-up’ to sports betting crackdown
1 November 2018
sports betting minister Tracey Crouch has resigned over “hold-ups” 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 said pressing back the date was “unjustifiable” and it might cost the lives of problem bettors.
She tweeted: “Politicians reoccur however principles stick with us permanently.”
Prime Minister Theresa May stated she was dissatisfied Ms Crouch had resigned but there had been “no delay in bringing forward this important procedure”.
High stakes for fixed-odds wagering devices
‘ I lost ₤ 250,000 on wagering makers’
sports betting device stakes to be cut to ₤ 2
The government has actually denied Labour declares that MPs had actually been led to think the cut would enter into force at the start of the next tax year, in April 2019. They suggested the cut had been intended to be introduced 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 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 application, over ₤ 1.6 bn will be lost on these machines.
“In addition, two individuals will tragically take their lives every day due to gambling-related issues and, because of that as much as any other, I believe this delay is unjustifiable.”
She added: “It is a truth of federal government that ministers must abide by collective duty and can not disagree with policy, not to mention when it is policy made against your dreams associating with 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 commitment to doing right.”
Former foreign secretary Boris Johnson tweeted, external that she “deserves substantial credit not just for her project but for sticking up for her principles”.
Fixed-odds sports betting terminals generate ₤ 1.8 bn in earnings a year for the sports betting market, according to the Gambling Commission, external, and taxes of ₤ 400m for the federal government.
Currently, individuals can wager approximately ₤ 100 every 20 seconds on electronic casino games such as roulette. Anti-gambling campaigners state the makers let players lose cash too quickly, resulting in addiction and social, psychological and monetary issues.
But bookies have actually warned the cut in stakes might result in countless outlets closing.
In her to Ms Crouch, the PM stated the federal government had actually listened to those who desired the modifications to come into effect faster than April 2020 and “had actually concurred that the changes need to remain in place within the year – by October 2019”.
In his Budget on Monday, the chancellor said the modification to fixed-odds stakes would enter into force next October at the exact same time as modifications to responsibility charged on sports betting firms based abroad however running in the UK.
The federal government says co-ordinating the date of the 2 changes would imply the federal government would not be hit by a fall in tax income.
Who is Tracey Crouch?
The 43-year-old MP has actually represented Chatham and Aylesford, in Kent, because 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 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 numerous Tory MPs, including Michael Howard and David Davis before representing election
She had her first kid in 2016 and is thought to have actually been the 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 applauded Ms Crouch’s “bold and principled decision” and said Culture Secretary Jeremy Wright “ought to be completely ashamed” of prioritising “business interests over victims, revenues over public health and greed over good”.
MPs from all sides of your house participated in his criticism. Former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith said it should be talked about as part of the Finance Bill later on this month.
Week ahead in Parliament: The Finance Bill
He told the BBC: “There are a lot of people whose lives have actually been harmed by this dependency … We require to do this really rapidly, as rapidly as we can and in the meantime, the gaming industry will make about ₤ 1bn as an outcome of this hold-up. That’s not ideal.”
Labour has told the BBC that they will put down an amendment to the Finance Bill to attempt and bring in the changes next April.
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