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

sports betting Minister Tracey Crouch resigns over ‘delay’ to sports betting crackdown

1 November 2018

sports betting minister Tracey Crouch has resigned over “delays” to a crackdown on optimal stakes for fixed-odds wagering devices.

Chancellor Philip Hammond stated in Budget that the cut in stakes from ₤ 100 to ₤ 2 would enter force in October 2019.

Ms Crouch said pushing back the date was “unjustifiable” and it could cost the lives of issue bettors.

She tweeted: “Politicians come and go however principles stay with us forever.”

Prime Minister Theresa May said she was disappointed Ms Crouch had actually resigned however there had been “no delay in bringing forward this essential measure”.

High stakes for fixed-odds wagering devices

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

sports betting maker stakes to be cut to ₤ 2

The government has 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 recommended the cut had actually been planned to be presented in April 2020.

But in her resignation letter, Ms Crouch stated: “Unfortunately, implementation of these modifications are now being delayed 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 minimize stakes and its implementation, over ₤ 1.6 bn will be lost on these makers.

“In addition, 2 people will tragically take their lives every day due to gambling-related issues and, because of that as much as any other, I think this delay is unjustifiable.”

She added: “It is a truth of government that ministers must follow cumulative duty and can not disagree with policy, let alone when it is policy made against your wishes connecting 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 dedication to doing right.”

Former foreign secretary Boris Johnson tweeted, external that she “deserves huge credit not simply for her campaign however for sticking up for her principles”.

Fixed-odds wagering terminals generate ₤ 1.8 bn in earnings a year for the wagering industry, according to the Gambling Commission, external, and taxes of ₤ 400m for the government.

Currently, people can bet up to ₤ 100 every 20 seconds on electronic gambling establishment video games such as live roulette. Anti-gambling advocates state the devices let gamers lose money too rapidly, resulting in addiction and social, psychological and monetary problems.

But bookies have alerted the cut in stakes could cause thousands of outlets closing.

In her response to Ms Crouch, the PM said the government had actually listened to those who wanted the modifications to come into effect quicker than April 2020 and “had agreed that the modifications must be 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 same time as modifications to duty charged on gambling firms based abroad however running in the UK.

The government states co-ordinating the date of the 2 modifications would indicate the government would not be hit 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 understood for her opposition to fox searching 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 worked for different Tory MPs, consisting of Michael Howard and David Davis before standing for election

She had her very first kid in 2016 and is believed to have 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 gaming industry”.

He praised Ms Crouch’s “courageous and principled decision” and said Culture Secretary Jeremy Wright “should be completely ashamed” of prioritising “business interests over victims, revenues over public health and greed over great”.

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

Week ahead in Parliament: The Finance Bill

He informed the BBC: “There are plenty of individuals whose lives have been damaged by this addiction … We require to do this very rapidly, as rapidly as we can and in the meantime, the gaming market will make about ₤ 1bn as an outcome of this delay. That’s not best.”

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