sports betting Minister Tracey Crouch resigns over 'delay' to wagering crackdown
1 November 2018
sports betting minister Tracey Crouch has actually resigned over "delays" to a crackdown on optimal stakes for fixed-odds sports betting makers.
Chancellor Philip Hammond said in Monday's Budget that the cut in stakes from ₤ 100 to ₤ 2 would come into force in October 2019.
Ms Crouch stated pushing back the date was "unjustifiable" and it might cost the lives of problem gamblers.
She tweeted: "Politicians reoccur but concepts remain with us forever."
Prime Minister Theresa May stated she was dissatisfied Ms Crouch had actually resigned however there had been "no delay in bringing forward this important procedure".
High stakes for fixed-odds wagering machines
' I lost ₤ 250,000 on sports betting makers'
sports betting machine stakes to be cut to ₤ 2
The government has actually rejected Labour claims that MPs had 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 meant to be introduced in April 2020.
But in her resignation letter, Ms Crouch said: "Unfortunately, execution of these modifications are now being delayed 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 announcement to reduce stakes and its application, over ₤ 1.6 bn will be lost on these devices.
"In addition, 2 individuals will unfortunately take their lives every day due to gambling-related problems and, because of that as much as any other, I think this hold-up is unjustifiable."
She added: "It is a reality of federal government that ministers should comply with cumulative obligation and can not disagree with policy, let alone when it is policy made versus your wishes relating 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 courageous" adding: "May God bless her commitment to doing right."
Former foreign secretary Boris Johnson tweeted, external that she "is worthy of big credit not just for her project however for sticking up for her principles".
Fixed-odds sports betting terminals produce ₤ 1.8 bn in income a year for the sports betting industry, according to the Gambling Commission, external, and taxes of ₤ 400m for the federal government.
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 players lose money too quickly, causing dependency and social, mental and monetary issues.
But bookies have actually warned the cut in stakes could cause countless outlets closing.
In her reaction to Ms Crouch, the PM said the federal government had actually listened to those who wanted the changes to come into effect faster than April 2020 and "had agreed that the changes should 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 very same time as modifications to duty charged on gaming firms based abroad but operating in the UK.
The government states co-ordinating the date of the 2 modifications would mean the government would not be struck by a fall in tax revenue.
Who is Tracey Crouch?
The 43-year-old MP has 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 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 different Tory MPs, including Michael Howard and David Davis before meaning election
She had her first kid in 2016 and is thought 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 market".
He applauded Ms Crouch's "bold and principled decision" and said Culture Secretary Jeremy Wright "should be thoroughly ashamed" of prioritising "business interests over victims, revenues over public health and greed over good".
MPs from all sides of your house took part his criticism. Former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith said it needs to be gone over as part of the Finance Bill later on this month.
Week ahead in Parliament: The Finance Bill
He informed the BBC: "There are a lot of people whose lives have been harmed by this dependency ... We need to do this very 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 informed the BBC that they will put down a modification to the Finance Bill to try and bring in the changes next April.