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

Tracey Crouch has resigned over “hold-ups” to a crackdown on optimal stakes for fixed-odds wagering makers.

Chancellor Philip Hammond stated 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 reoccur however concepts stay with us permanently.”

Prime Minister Theresa May said she was dissatisfied Ms Crouch had resigned however there had actually been “no hold-up in bringing forward this crucial measure”.

High stakes for fixed-odds wagering machines

‘ I lost ₤ 250,000 on sports betting devices’

sports betting maker stakes to be cut to ₤ 2

The federal government has rejected Labour claims that MPs had actually been led to believe the cut would enter into force at the start of the next tax year, in April 2019. They suggested the cut had actually been planned to be introduced in April 2020.

But in her resignation letter, Ms Crouch said: “Unfortunately, implementation of these modifications are now being delayed until 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 reduce stakes and its execution, over ₤ 1.6 bn will be lost on these devices.

“In addition, 2 individuals will tragically 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 truth of government that ministers should abide by cumulative duty and can not disagree with policy, not to mention when it is policy made versus 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 brave” adding: “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 concepts”.

Fixed-odds sports betting 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, people can wager approximately ₤ 100 every 20 seconds on electronic casino video games such as roulette. Anti-gambling campaigners state the devices let gamers lose money too rapidly, leading to dependency and social, psychological and financial problems.

But bookies have warned the cut in stakes could lead to thousands of outlets closing.

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

In his Budget on Monday, the chancellor said the change to fixed-odds stakes would come into force next October at the exact same time as changes to responsibility charged on gambling firms based abroad but operating in the UK.

The federal government says co-ordinating the date of the 2 changes would indicate the government would not be struck by a fall in tax earnings.

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

Grammar 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 different Tory MPs, consisting of Michael Howard and David Davis before meaning election

She had her 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 accused the government of “capitulating to the sports betting industry”.

He applauded Ms Crouch’s “bold and principled decision” and stated Culture Secretary Jeremy Wright “must be thoroughly embarrassed” of prioritising “business interests over victims, earnings over public health and greed over great”.

MPs from all sides of your home participated his criticism. Former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith stated it should 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 plenty of individuals whose lives have been harmed by this addiction … We need to do this extremely rapidly, as rapidly as we can and in the meantime, the gaming industry will make about ₤ 1bn as a result of this delay. That’s wrong.”

Labour has informed the BBC that they will put down a change to the Finance Bill to attempt and generate the modifications next April.