sports betting Minister Tracey Crouch resigns over 'hold-up' to sports betting crackdown

1 November 2018

sports betting minister Tracey Crouch has resigned over "delays" 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 enter force in October 2019.

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

She tweeted: "Politicians come and go however concepts stay with us forever."

Prime Minister Theresa May stated she was disappointed Ms Crouch had resigned but there had actually been "no delay in bringing forward this important step".
bet9ja.com
High stakes for fixed-odds wagering devices

' I lost ₤ 250,000 on wagering devices'

sports betting machine stakes to be cut to ₤ 2

The federal government has actually denied Labour claims that MPs had been led to believe the cut would come into 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, application of these changes are now being delayed until October 2019 due to dedications made by others to those with registered interests.

This Twitter post can not be displayed in your web browser. Please enable Javascript or attempt a various browser.View original content on Twitter The BBC is not accountable for the material of external sites.
bet9ja.com
Skip twitter post by Tracey Crouch

Allow Twitter material?

This post includes material offered by Twitter. We ask for your approval before anything is loaded, as they might be utilizing cookies and other innovations. You might wish to check out Twitter's cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To see this content select 'accept and continue'.

Accept and continue

The BBC is not responsible for the material of external websites.

End of twitter post by Tracey Crouch

"From the time of the statement to lower stakes and its implementation, 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, because of that as much as any other, I think this hold-up is unjustifiable."

She added: "It is a reality of government that ministers should adhere to collective duty and can not disagree with policy, let alone when it is policy made versus your wishes relating 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 courageous" adding: "May God bless her dedication to doing right."

Former foreign secretary Boris Johnson tweeted, external that she "should have substantial credit not just for her project however for sticking up for her concepts".

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

Currently, people can bet up to ₤ 100 every 20 seconds on electronic gambling establishment video games such as roulette. Anti-gambling campaigners say the makers let gamers lose cash too rapidly, resulting in dependency and social, mental and financial issues.

But bookmakers have cautioned the cut in stakes might cause countless outlets closing.

In her action to Ms Crouch, the PM said the federal government had actually listened to those who the changes to come into impact sooner than April 2020 and "had concurred 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 modifications to responsibility charged on gambling firms based abroad however operating in the UK.

The federal government states co-ordinating the date of the 2 modifications would suggest the government would not be struck by a fall in tax income.

Who is Tracey Crouch?
bet9ja.com
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 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 worked for different Tory MPs, including Michael Howard and David Davis before representing election

She had her first child 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 gambling industry".
bet9ja.com
He praised Ms Crouch's "bold and principled choice" and stated Culture Secretary Jeremy Wright "need to be completely embarrassed" of prioritising "business interests over victims, earnings over public health and greed over great".

MPs from all sides of the House joined in his criticism. Former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith stated it should be discussed as part of the Finance Bill later on this month.

Week ahead in Parliament: The Finance Bill
bit.ly
He informed the BBC: "There are lots of people whose lives have been harmed by this dependency ... We require to do this really rapidly, as rapidly as we can and in the meantime, the gambling industry will make about ₤ 1bn as a result of this hold-up. That's not ideal."

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