Sports Minister Tracey Crouch Resigns over ‘Hold-up’ 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 resigned over “hold-ups” to a crackdown on optimal stakes for fixed-odds wagering machines.
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 said pressing back the date was “unjustifiable” and it might cost the lives of issue bettors.
She tweeted: “Politicians come and go however principles stick with us permanently.”
Prime Minister Theresa May said she was disappointed Ms Crouch had actually resigned but there had actually been “no delay in bringing forward this important measure”.
High stakes for fixed-odds wagering makers
‘ I lost ₤ 250,000 on wagering machines’
sports betting maker stakes to be cut to ₤ 2
The government has actually denied Labour claims that MPs had actually 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 meant to be introduced in April 2020.
But in her resignation letter, Ms Crouch said: “Unfortunately, implementation of these changes are now being delayed till 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 lower stakes and its execution, over ₤ 1.6 bn will be lost on these makers.
“In addition, two people will tragically take their lives every day due to gambling-related problems and, for that reason as much as any other, I believe this delay is unjustifiable.”
She added: “It is a reality of government that ministers need to stick to collective responsibility and can not disagree with policy, let alone when it is policy made against your dreams associating with 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 brave” adding: “May God bless her commitment to doing right.”
Former foreign secretary Boris Johnson tweeted, external that she “deserves big credit not simply for her project but for sticking up for her principles”.
Fixed-odds wagering terminals create ₤ 1.8 bn in revenue a year for the wagering 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 campaigners say the machines let players lose money too quickly, causing dependency and social, psychological and monetary problems.
But bookies have warned the cut in stakes might lead to thousands of outlets closing.
In her reaction to Ms Crouch, the PM stated the government had actually listened to those who desired the modifications to come into effect faster than April 2020 and “had actually agreed that the modifications need 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 into force next October at the exact same time as modifications to task charged on gaming companies based abroad but operating in the UK.
The government states co-ordinating the date of the 2 would mean the government would not be struck by a fall in tax profits.
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 known for her opposition to fox searching and her love of football – she is a competent FA coach
Grade school informed at Folkestone School for Girls, she went on to get a degree in law and politics from Hull University
She had actually worked for numerous Tory MPs, consisting of Michael Howard and David Davis before meaning election
She had her very first kid in 2016 and is believed to have actually been the very 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 market”.
He applauded Ms Crouch’s “courageous and principled choice” and said Culture Secretary Jeremy Wright “must be thoroughly embarrassed” of prioritising “corporate interests over victims, profits over public health and greed over excellent”.
MPs from all sides of the House participated in 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 individuals whose lives have actually been damaged by this addiction … We require to do this very quickly, as quickly as we can and in the meantime, the sports betting industry will make about ₤ 1bn as an outcome of this delay. That’s not best.”
Labour has actually told the BBC that they will put down a change to the Finance Bill to attempt and generate the changes next April.