Sports Minister Tracey Crouch Resigns over ‘Delay’ To Betting Crackdown

sports betting Minister Tracey Crouch resigns over ‘hold-up’ to wagering crackdown

1 November 2018

sports betting minister Tracey Crouch has actually resigned over “hold-ups” to a crackdown on optimal stakes for fixed-odds sports betting machines.

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

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

She tweeted: “Politicians reoccur but concepts stick with us forever.”

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

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 federal government has rejected Labour declares 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 planned to be introduced in April 2020.

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 signed up interests.

This Twitter post can not be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or attempt a various browser.View original content on Twitter
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external websites.

Skip twitter post by Tracey Crouch

Allow Twitter content?

This post consists of content offered by Twitter. We ask for your authorization before anything is filled, as they may be utilizing cookies and other technologies. You might desire to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and personal privacy policy, external before accepting. To see this content select ‘accept and continue’.

Accept and continue

The BBC is not accountable 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 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 hold-up is unjustifiable.”

She included: “It is a truth of federal government that ministers need to adhere to cumulative obligation and can not disagree with policy, not to mention when it is policy made against your desires associating with 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 commitment to doing right.”

Former foreign secretary Boris Johnson tweeted, external that she “is worthy of big credit not just for her campaign however for sticking up for her principles”.

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

Currently, people can wager up to ₤ 100 every 20 seconds on electronic gambling establishment games such as live roulette. Anti-gambling advocates say the makers let players lose money too rapidly, leading to addiction and social, mental and financial issues.

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

In her response to Ms Crouch, the PM said the government had actually listened to those who wanted the changes to come into impact faster than April 2020 and “had concurred that the changes should be in place within the year – by October 2019”.

In his Budget on Monday, the chancellor stated the change to fixed-odds stakes would enter force next October at the same time as changes to responsibility charged on sports betting companies based abroad however running in the UK.

The government states co-ordinating the date of the 2 changes 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, considering 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

Grade school educated at Folkestone School for Girls, she went on to get a degree in law and politics from Hull University

She had worked for numerous Tory MPs, including Michael Howard and David Davis before standing for election

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

He praised Ms Crouch’s “courageous and principled choice” and said Culture Secretary Jeremy Wright “ought to be thoroughly embarrassed” of prioritising “corporate interests over victims, revenues over public health and greed over great”.

MPs from all sides of your house took part his criticism. Former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith said it must be talked about as part of the Finance Bill later this month.

Week ahead in Parliament: The Finance Bill

He informed the BBC: “There are a lot of people whose lives have been harmed by this addiction … We need to do this extremely quickly, as quickly as we can and in the meantime, the gaming market will make about ₤ 1bn as a result of this hold-up. That’s not best.”

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