Sports Minister Tracey Crouch Resigns Over Delay To Betting Crackdown

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sports betting Minister Tracey Crouch resigns over 'delay' to sports betting crackdown
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1 November 2018


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


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


Ms Crouch stated pushing back the date was "unjustifiable" and it might cost the lives of problem bettors.


She tweeted: "Politicians reoccur but principles stick 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 crucial measure".


High stakes for fixed-odds sports betting machines


' I lost ₤ 250,000 on sports betting machines'


sports betting device stakes to be cut to ₤ 2


The government has denied Labour claims that MPs had been led to believe the cut would enter force at the start of the next tax year, in April 2019. They recommended the cut had been planned 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 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 statement to minimize stakes and its execution, over ₤ 1.6 bn will be lost on these makers.


"In addition, two individuals will tragically 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 included: "It is a fact of government that ministers need to abide by cumulative responsibility and can not disagree with policy, not to mention when it is policy made versus your dreams relating to 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 courageous" adding: "May God bless her dedication to doing right."


Former foreign secretary Boris Johnson tweeted, external that she "deserves big credit not just for her project but for sticking up for her concepts".


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


Currently, individuals can wager approximately ₤ 100 every 20 seconds on electronic casino video games such as live roulette. Anti-gambling campaigners say the makers let gamers lose cash too rapidly, resulting in addiction and social, mental and financial problems.


But have warned the cut in stakes might result in thousands of outlets closing.


In her action to Ms Crouch, the PM said the federal government had actually listened to those who desired the modifications to come into result sooner than April 2020 and "had concurred that the modifications ought to be in place within the year - by October 2019".


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


The federal government says co-ordinating the date of the two 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, 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 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 various Tory MPs, including Michael Howard and David Davis before meaning election


She had her very 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 accused the federal government of "capitulating to the sports betting market".


He praised Ms Crouch's "brave and principled choice" and said Culture Secretary Jeremy Wright "need to be completely ashamed" of prioritising "corporate interests over victims, revenues over public health and greed over good".


MPs from all sides of your house participated his criticism. Former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith said it needs to be talked about as part of the Finance Bill later this month.


Week ahead in Parliament: The Finance Bill
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He informed the BBC: "There are lots of people whose lives have been damaged by this dependency ... We require to do this extremely quickly, as quickly as we can and in the meantime, the sports betting industry will make about ₤ 1bn as a result of this delay. That's not right."


Labour has actually told the BBC that they will put down an amendment to the Finance Bill to try and bring in the modifications next April.
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