sports betting Minister Tracey Crouch resigns over 'delay' to wagering crackdown
1 November 2018
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sports betting minister Tracey Crouch has actually resigned over "hold-ups" to a crackdown on optimal 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 into force in October 2019.
Ms Crouch stated pushing back the date was "unjustifiable" and it might cost the lives of issue gamblers.
She tweeted: "Politicians come and go however principles stay with us forever."
Prime Minister Theresa May said she was dissatisfied Ms Crouch had resigned but there had been "no hold-up in bringing forward this essential step".
High stakes for fixed-odds wagering makers
' I lost ₤ 250,000 on sports betting machines'
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sports betting machine stakes to be cut to ₤ 2
The government has denied Labour 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 recommended the cut had been intended to be presented in April 2020.
But in her resignation letter, Ms Crouch said: "Unfortunately, implementation of these modifications are now being postponed till October 2019 due to dedications 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 minimize 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 problems and, for that factor as much as any other, I think this delay is unjustifiable."
She added: "It is a reality of government that ministers must comply with cumulative responsibility and can not disagree with policy, let alone when it is policy made against your dreams relating to your own portfolio."
'God bless'
Among those applauding her on social media, 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 simply for her campaign but for sticking up for her principles".
Fixed-odds sports betting terminals generate ₤ 1.8 bn in profits a year for the sports betting industry, according to the Gambling Commission, external, and taxes of ₤ 400m for the government.
Currently, people can wager as much as ₤ 100 every 20 seconds on electronic casino video games such as live roulette. Anti-gambling advocates say the makers let players lose money too quickly, causing dependency and social, psychological and financial 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 government had actually listened to those who desired the modifications to come into impact earlier than April 2020 and "had actually agreed that the modifications ought to remain in location 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 exact same time as modifications to duty charged on gambling companies based abroad however operating in the UK.
The government says co-ordinating the date of the 2 changes would imply the federal 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, considering that 2010
She was promoted to the front bench as sports betting minister in 2015
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She is known 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 different Tory MPs, including Michael Howard and David Davis before representing election
She had her first child 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 federal government of "capitulating to the gambling market".
He praised Ms Crouch's "brave and principled choice" and said Culture Secretary Jeremy Wright "should be completely ashamed" of prioritising "business interests over victims, profits over public health and greed over great".
MPs from all sides of the House participated in his criticism. Former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith said it must 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 lots of people whose lives have actually been harmed by this addiction ... We need to do this extremely rapidly, as rapidly as we can and in the meantime, the gaming market will make about ₤ 1bn as an outcome of this hold-up. That's wrong."
Labour has informed the BBC that they will put down an amendment to the Finance Bill to try and generate the modifications next April.
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Sports Minister Tracey Crouch Resigns over 'Delay' To Betting Crackdown
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