sports betting Minister Tracey Crouch resigns over 'hold-up' to wagering crackdown
1 November 2018
sports betting minister Tracey Crouch has actually resigned over "hold-ups" to a crackdown on optimal stakes for fixed-odds sports betting devices.
Chancellor Philip Hammond stated 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 come and go however concepts stick with us permanently."
Prime Minister Theresa May stated she was disappointed Ms Crouch had actually resigned however there had actually been "no delay in bringing forward this crucial procedure".
High stakes for fixed-odds wagering devices
' I lost ₤ 250,000 on sports betting makers'
sports betting device stakes to be cut to ₤ 2
The government has rejected Labour claims that MPs had been led to think the cut would come 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 said: "Unfortunately, execution of these changes are now being postponed up 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 decrease stakes and its application, over ₤ 1.6 bn will be lost on these machines.
"In addition, two individuals will unfortunately take their lives every day due to gambling-related problems and, because of that as much as any other, I believe this delay is unjustifiable."
She included: "It is a reality of federal government that ministers must follow collective duty and can not disagree with policy, not to mention when it is policy made against your dreams associating with your own portfolio."
'God bless'
Among those praising 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 "should have huge credit not simply for her campaign however for sticking up for her principles".
Fixed-odds betting terminals produce ₤ 1.8 bn in earnings a year for the sports betting market, according to the Gambling Commission, external, and taxes of ₤ 400m for the federal government.
Currently, people can bet up to ₤ 100 every 20 seconds on electronic casino video games such as live roulette. Anti-gambling advocates say the devices let gamers lose cash too quickly, leading to addiction and social, psychological and monetary problems.
But bookmakers have actually warned the cut in stakes could cause countless outlets closing.
In her response to Ms Crouch, the PM said the government had listened to those who wanted the modifications to come into effect sooner than April 2020 and "had agreed that the modifications must remain in place within the year - by October 2019".
In his Budget on Monday, the chancellor stated the change to fixed-odds stakes would enter force next October at the very same time as changes to task charged on gambling companies based abroad but operating in the UK.
The government says co-ordinating the date of the 2 modifications would mean 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, given that 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 qualified 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 numerous Tory MPs, consisting of Michael Howard and David Davis before standing for election
She had her 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 federal government of "capitulating to the sports betting industry".
He applauded Ms Crouch's "brave and principled decision" and stated Culture Secretary Jeremy Wright "should be thoroughly ashamed" of prioritising "business interests over victims, earnings 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 needs to be talked about as part of the Finance Bill later on this month.
Week ahead in Parliament: The Finance Bill
He told the BBC: "There are a lot of people whose lives have actually been harmed by this dependency ... We need to do this really quickly, as quickly as we can and in the meantime, the gambling industry will make about ₤ 1bn as an outcome of this hold-up. That's not ideal."
Labour has actually told the BBC that they will put down a modification to the Finance Bill to try and bring in the modifications next April.