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 maximum stakes for fixed-odds wagering machines.
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 might cost the lives of issue bettors.
She tweeted: "Politicians come and go however principles stay with us permanently."
Prime Minister Theresa May said she was dissatisfied Ms Crouch had actually resigned however there had been "no delay in advancing this important measure".
High stakes for fixed-odds wagering devices
' I lost ₤ 250,000 on wagering makers'
sports betting maker stakes to be cut to ₤ 2
The federal government has actually rejected Labour declares that MPs had been led to think the cut would enter force at the start of the next tax year, in April 2019. They suggested the cut had actually been meant to be presented in April 2020.
But in her resignation letter, Ms Crouch said: "Unfortunately, execution of these changes are now being delayed till 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 lower stakes and its application, over ₤ 1.6 bn will be lost on these devices.
"In addition, two people will tragically take their lives every day due to gambling-related issues and, for that reason as much as any other, I think this hold-up is unjustifiable."
She added: "It is a truth of government that ministers must follow cumulative duty and can not disagree with policy, not to mention 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 bold" including: "May God bless her dedication to doing right."
Former foreign secretary Boris Johnson tweeted, external that she "is worthy of big credit not just for her project but for sticking up for her principles".
Fixed-odds sports betting terminals generate ₤ 1.8 bn in profits a year for the wagering market, according to the Gambling Commission, external, and taxes of ₤ 400m for the federal government.
Currently, people can bet approximately ₤ 100 every 20 seconds on electronic gambling establishment games such as live roulette. Anti-gambling advocates say the devices let players lose money too quickly, resulting in dependency and social, psychological and financial issues.
But bookmakers have alerted the cut in stakes might cause countless outlets closing.
In her reaction to Ms Crouch, the PM stated the government had actually listened to those who wanted the modifications to come into result earlier than April 2020 and "had agreed that the modifications ought to remain in location within the year - by October 2019".
In his Budget on Monday, the chancellor said 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 two changes would imply the government would not be struck by a fall in tax income.
Who is Tracey Crouch?
The 43-year-old MP has 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 hunting 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 actually worked for different Tory MPs, consisting of Michael Howard and David Davis before representing election
She had her first child 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 gambling market".
He praised Ms Crouch's "bold and principled decision" and stated Culture Secretary Jeremy Wright "need to be completely embarrassed" of prioritising "business interests over victims, profits over public health and greed over excellent".
MPs from all sides of your home joined 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
He told the BBC: "There are lots of people whose lives have been damaged by this dependency ... We need to do this extremely rapidly, as quickly as we can and in the meantime, the gaming industry will make about ₤ 1bn as an outcome of this hold-up. That's wrong."
Labour has told the BBC that they will put down a change to the Finance Bill to attempt and generate the modifications next April.