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

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


1 November 2018

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Sports minister Tracey Crouch has resigned over "hold-ups" to a crackdown on optimal stakes for fixed-odds wagering machines.

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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 said pressing back the date was "unjustifiable" and it could cost the lives of issue bettors.


She tweeted: "Politicians come and go but concepts stick with us permanently."


Prime Minister Theresa May stated she was dissatisfied Ms Crouch had resigned however there had actually been "no delay in advancing this important step".


High stakes for fixed-odds wagering makers


' I lost ₤ 250,000 on wagering machines'


sports betting maker stakes to be cut to ₤ 2


The government has rejected Labour claims that MPs had actually been led to believe the cut would enter into force at the start of the next tax year, in April 2019. They suggested the cut had been planned to be presented in April 2020.


But in her resignation letter, Ms Crouch stated: "Unfortunately, implementation of these changes are now being delayed until October 2019 due to dedications made by others to those with registered interests.


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End of twitter post by Tracey Crouch


"From the time of the announcement to reduce stakes and its execution, over ₤ 1.6 bn will be lost on these makers.


"In addition, 2 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 included: "It is a fact of federal government that ministers must stick to cumulative obligation and can not disagree with policy, not to mention 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" including: "May God bless her dedication to doing right."


Former foreign secretary Boris Johnson tweeted, external that she "deserves substantial credit not simply for her campaign however for sticking up for her concepts".

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

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Currently, individuals can bet as much as ₤ 100 every 20 seconds on electronic gambling establishment games such as live roulette. Anti-gambling campaigners state the makers let gamers lose money too rapidly, leading to addiction and social, mental and monetary problems.


But bookies have actually alerted the cut in stakes could result in countless outlets closing.


In her action to Ms Crouch, the PM said the federal government had actually listened to those who wanted the modifications to come into effect earlier than April 2020 and "had actually agreed that the changes ought to remain in place within the year - by October 2019".


In his Budget on Monday, the chancellor said the change to fixed-odds stakes would come into force next October at the exact same time as modifications to responsibility charged on gaming companies based abroad but operating in the UK.


The federal government states co-ordinating the date of the 2 modifications would imply the federal 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, 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 competent 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 numerous Tory MPs, consisting of Michael Howard and David Davis before representing 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 implicated the federal government of "capitulating to the gambling market".


He praised Ms Crouch's "bold and principled decision" and said Culture Secretary Jeremy Wright "must be thoroughly embarrassed" of prioritising "corporate interests over victims, earnings over public health and greed over good".


MPs from all sides of your house signed up with in his criticism. Former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith said it should be talked about 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 extremely rapidly, as rapidly as we can and in the meantime, the sports betting industry will make about ₤ 1bn as a result of this hold-up. That's wrong."


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

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