Sports Minister Tracey Crouch Resigns over ‘Delay’ To Betting Crackdown

sports betting Minister Tracey Crouch resigns over ‘hold-up’ to sports betting 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 machines.

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 said pressing back the date was “unjustifiable” and it might cost the lives of problem bettors.

She tweeted: “Politicians come and go but principles remain with us forever.”

Prime Minister Theresa May stated she was disappointed Ms Crouch had actually resigned however there had been “no hold-up in advancing this essential measure”.

High stakes for fixed-odds wagering makers

‘ I lost ₤ 250,000 on wagering machines’

sports betting device stakes to be cut to ₤ 2

The federal government has rejected Labour declares 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 been meant 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 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 decrease stakes and its implementation, over ₤ 1.6 bn will be lost on these devices.

“In addition, 2 people will unfortunately take their lives every day due to gambling-related issues and, because of that as much as any other, I believe this hold-up is unjustifiable.”

She included: “It is a reality of federal government that ministers must stick to cumulative obligation and can not disagree with policy, let alone when it is policy made versus your dreams connecting to your own portfolio.”

‘God bless’

Among those praising her on social networks, 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 “should have huge credit not just for her project but for sticking up for her principles”.

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

Currently, individuals can bet as much as ₤ 100 every 20 seconds on electronic gambling establishment video games such as live roulette. Anti-gambling advocates state the makers let gamers lose cash too rapidly, resulting in addiction and social, psychological and financial issues.

But bookies have cautioned 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 desired the changes to come into effect faster than April 2020 and “had actually concurred that the modifications should remain in location within the year – by October 2019”.

In his Budget on Monday, the said the modification to fixed-odds stakes would enter force next October at the same time as changes to task charged on gaming companies based abroad however operating in the UK.

The government says co-ordinating the date of the 2 modifications would suggest the government would not be hit by a fall in tax profits.

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 hunting and her love of football – she is a qualified FA coach

Grammar 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 representing election

She had her very first kid in 2016 and is thought 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 gaming market”.

He applauded Ms Crouch’s “brave and principled decision” and stated Culture Secretary Jeremy Wright “need to be thoroughly ashamed” of prioritising “corporate interests over victims, revenues over public health and greed over good”.

MPs from all sides of your home participated in his criticism. Former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith stated it must be gone over as part of the Finance Bill later this month.

Week ahead in Parliament: The Finance Bill

He informed the BBC: “There are lots of individuals whose lives have actually been harmed by this dependency … We need to do this really rapidly, as rapidly as we can and in the meantime, the gambling market 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 change to the Finance Bill to try and bring in the modifications next April.