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 maximum stakes for fixed-odds wagering devices.

Chancellor Philip Hammond said in Monday’s Budget that the cut in stakes from ₤ 100 to ₤ 2 would enter into force in October 2019.

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

She tweeted: “Politicians come and go but principles stick with us permanently.”

Prime Minister Theresa May stated she was dissatisfied Ms Crouch had actually resigned but there had actually been “no delay in advancing this essential step”.

High stakes for fixed-odds sports betting makers

‘ I lost ₤ 250,000 on wagering devices’

sports betting machine stakes to be cut to ₤ 2

The government has actually rejected Labour declares that MPs had actually 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 actually been meant to be introduced in April 2020.

But in her resignation letter, Ms Crouch stated: “Unfortunately, application of these changes are now being delayed 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 announcement to lower stakes and its application, over ₤ 1.6 bn will be lost on these devices.

“In addition, 2 individuals will unfortunately take their lives every day due to gambling-related problems and, for that reason as much as any other, I think this delay is unjustifiable.”

She included: “It is a reality of federal government that ministers should follow 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 praising 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 “is worthy of substantial credit not simply for her project however for sticking up for her principles”.

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

Currently, individuals can wager as much as ₤ 100 every 20 seconds on electronic casino games such as live roulette. Anti-gambling advocates state the machines let gamers lose cash too rapidly, causing dependency and social, mental and monetary issues.

But bookies have warned the cut in stakes might cause countless outlets closing.

In her reaction to Ms Crouch, the PM stated the government had actually listened to those who desired the changes to come into effect quicker than April 2020 and “had concurred that the modifications ought to remain in place within the year – by October 2019”.

In his Budget on Monday, the chancellor stated the change to stakes would enter into force next October at the very same time as changes to task charged on sports betting companies based abroad but operating in the UK.

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

Who is Tracey Crouch?

The 43-year-old MP has represented Chatham and Aylesford, in Kent, considering that 2010

She was promoted to the front bench as sports betting minister in 2015

She is understood 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 worked for various Tory MPs, including Michael Howard and David Davis before meaning election

She had her very first kid in 2016 and is believed to have actually been the 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”.

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

MPs from all sides of the House participated in his criticism. Former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith said it must 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 actually been damaged by this dependency … We need to do this extremely quickly, as quickly as we can and in the meantime, the sports betting market will make about ₤ 1bn as a result of this delay. That’s not right.”

Labour has actually told the BBC that they will put down a modification to the Finance Bill to try and generate the changes next April.