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 optimal stakes for fixed-odds wagering machines.

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 pressing back the date was "unjustifiable" and it might cost the lives of issue gamblers.

She tweeted: "Politicians reoccur however concepts stick with us permanently."

Prime Minister Theresa May said she was dissatisfied Ms Crouch had actually resigned but there had actually been "no hold-up in advancing this crucial measure".
bit.ly
High stakes for fixed-odds wagering makers

' I lost ₤ 250,000 on sports betting devices'

sports betting maker stakes to be cut to ₤ 2

The federal government has actually 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 intended to be introduced in April 2020.
bet9ja.com
But in her resignation letter, Ms Crouch stated: "Unfortunately, execution of these modifications are now being delayed until October 2019 due to dedications made by others to those with registered interests.

This Twitter post can not be shown in your browser. Please make it possible for Javascript or attempt a different browser.View original material on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the material of external sites.

Skip twitter post by Tracey Crouch

Allow Twitter content?

This short article contains content provided by Twitter. We request your approval before anything is loaded, as they might be utilizing cookies and other technologies. You might want to check out Twitter's cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To see this content choose 'accept and continue'.

Accept and continue

The BBC is not responsible for the material of external websites.
bit.ly
End of twitter post by Tracey Crouch

"From the time of the statement to reduce stakes and its application, over ₤ 1.6 bn will be lost on these devices.

"In addition, 2 people will tragically take their lives every day due to gambling-related problems and, for that factor as much as any other, I believe this delay is unjustifiable."

She included: "It is a truth of government that ministers need to adhere to collective obligation and can not disagree with policy, not to mention when it is policy made versus your dreams connecting to your own portfolio."
bit.ly
'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."
bit.ly
Former foreign secretary Boris Johnson tweeted, external that she "should have huge credit not simply for her project but for sticking up for her concepts".

Fixed-odds sports betting 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 government.

Currently, people can bet up to ₤ 100 every 20 seconds on electronic casino games such as roulette. Anti-gambling campaigners state the machines let gamers lose cash too quickly, resulting in dependency and social, mental and financial problems.

But bookmakers 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 listened to those who wanted the modifications to come into effect earlier than April 2020 and "had agreed that the modifications must be 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 same time as modifications to responsibility charged on gaming firms based abroad however operating in the UK.

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

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 understood for her opposition to fox hunting and her love of football - she is a qualified FA coach

Grade school informed at Folkestone School for Girls, she went on to get a degree in law and politics from Hull University
bit.ly
She had worked for various Tory MPs, consisting of Michael Howard and David Davis before representing election

She had her very first child 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 gaming market".

He applauded Ms Crouch's "bold and principled decision" and stated Culture Secretary Jeremy Wright "should be thoroughly ashamed" of prioritising "business interests over victims, revenues over public health and greed over excellent".

MPs from all sides of the House signed up with in his criticism. Former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith stated it needs to be gone over as part of the Finance Bill later this month.

Week ahead in Parliament: The Finance Bill

He informed the BBC: "There are lots of individuals whose lives have been damaged by this addiction ... We require to do this extremely quickly, as rapidly as we can and in the meantime, the sports betting market will make about ₤ 1bn as an outcome of this delay. That's not best."

Labour has informed the BBC that they will put down a change to the Finance Bill to try and bring in the changes next April.
bet9ja.com