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

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Sports Minister Tracey Crouch resigns over 'hold-up' to wagering crackdown

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

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1 November 2018


sports betting minister Tracey Crouch has resigned over "hold-ups" to a crackdown on optimal stakes for fixed-odds sports betting 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 stated pressing back the date was "unjustifiable" and it might cost the lives of problem bettors.


She tweeted: "Politicians come and go but principles stay with us permanently."


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


High stakes for fixed-odds wagering devices


' I lost ₤ 250,000 on wagering devices'


sports betting maker stakes to be cut to ₤ 2


The government has actually rejected 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 actually been intended to be introduced in April 2020.


But in her resignation letter, Ms Crouch said: "Unfortunately, execution of these changes are now being postponed until October 2019 due to commitments 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 reduce stakes and its implementation, over ₤ 1.6 bn will be lost on these devices.


"In addition, 2 people will unfortunately 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 reality of government that ministers need to comply with collective duty and can not disagree with policy, let alone when it is policy made versus your dreams connecting to your own portfolio."


'God bless'


Among those applauding her on social networks, the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby tweeted, external that she was "principled and brave" including: "May God bless her commitment to doing right."


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


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

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Currently, individuals can wager approximately ₤ 100 every 20 seconds on electronic casino video games such as roulette. Anti-gambling campaigners state the machines let players lose cash too rapidly, resulting in addiction and social, mental and monetary problems.


But bookmakers have cautioned the cut in stakes could cause thousands of outlets closing.


In her reaction to Ms Crouch, the PM stated the government had listened to those who wanted the changes to come into impact earlier than April 2020 and "had agreed that the changes must be in location 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 same time as modifications to duty charged on gambling companies based abroad however running in the UK.


The government states co-ordinating the date of the 2 changes would mean the government would not be struck by a fall in tax income.


Who is Tracey Crouch?


The 43-year-old MP has actually represented Chatham and Aylesford, in Kent, given that 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


Grade 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 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 first Tory minister to take maternity leave


But in the Commons on Thursday, Labour's deputy leader Tom Watson implicated the government of "capitulating to the sports betting industry".


He applauded Ms Crouch's "courageous and principled decision" and said Culture Secretary Jeremy Wright "should be completely embarrassed" of prioritising "business interests over victims, profits over public health and greed over great".


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


Week ahead in Parliament: The Finance Bill


He informed the BBC: "There are lots of individuals whose lives have actually been damaged by this addiction ... We need to do this very quickly, as rapidly as we can and in the meantime, the sports betting market will make about ₤ 1bn as a result of this delay. That's wrong."


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

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