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 maximum stakes for fixed-odds sports betting makers.

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 could cost the lives of problem gamblers.

She tweeted: “Politicians come and go but concepts stick with us forever.”

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

High stakes for fixed-odds wagering machines

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

sports betting maker stakes to be cut to ₤ 2

The government has rejected 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 been meant to be presented in April 2020.

But in her resignation letter, Ms Crouch said: “Unfortunately, implementation of these modifications are now being postponed till October 2019 due to dedications 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 statement to decrease stakes and its execution, over ₤ 1.6 bn will be lost on these machines.

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

She added: “It is a reality of federal government that ministers should adhere to collective duty and can not disagree with policy, let alone when it is policy made against your desires connecting 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 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 however for sticking up for her principles”.

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

Currently, people can wager up to ₤ 100 every 20 seconds on electronic gambling establishment video games such as roulette. Anti-gambling campaigners say the machines let players lose cash too quickly, resulting in addiction and social, psychological and monetary issues.

But bookmakers have actually warned the cut in stakes could result in thousands of outlets closing.

In her reaction to Ms Crouch, the PM stated the government had listened to those who desired the modifications to come into result sooner than April 2020 and “had agreed that the changes must be in place 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 very same time as changes to responsibility charged on sports betting companies based abroad however running in the UK.

The states co-ordinating the date of the two modifications would imply 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 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 representing 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 federal government of “capitulating to the gaming market”.

He praised Ms Crouch’s “brave and principled decision” and stated Culture Secretary Jeremy Wright “should be thoroughly ashamed” of prioritising “business interests over victims, earnings over public health and greed over good”.

MPs from all sides of the House participated in his criticism. Former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith said it needs to 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 a lot 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 gaming industry will make about ₤ 1bn as a result of this hold-up. That’s not best.”

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