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 sports betting makers.
Chancellor Philip Hammond said in Monday's Budget that the cut in stakes from ₤ 100 to ₤ 2 would come into force in October 2019.
Ms Crouch said pushing back the date was "unjustifiable" and it might cost the lives of issue bettors.
She tweeted: "Politicians reoccur but principles stick with us forever."
Prime Minister Theresa May said she was dissatisfied Ms Crouch had actually resigned but there had been "no delay in bringing forward this crucial procedure".
High stakes for fixed-odds wagering makers
' I lost ₤ 250,000 on wagering makers'
sports betting device stakes to be cut to ₤ 2
The federal government has actually rejected Labour declares that MPs had been led to think the cut would come 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 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 implementation, over ₤ 1.6 bn will be lost on these machines.
"In addition, two individuals will tragically take their lives every day due to gambling-related problems and, for that factor as much as any other, I believe this hold-up is unjustifiable."
She included: "It is a reality of federal government that ministers should follow cumulative duty and can not disagree with policy, not to mention when it is policy made versus 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 "should have substantial credit not simply for her campaign but for sticking up for her principles".
Fixed-odds wagering 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 federal government.
Currently, individuals can bet approximately ₤ 100 every 20 seconds on electronic casino video games such as roulette. Anti-gambling advocates say the machines let players lose money too quickly, resulting in addiction and social, mental and financial problems.
But bookmakers have actually warned the cut in stakes might cause countless outlets closing.
In her action to Ms Crouch, the PM stated the federal government had listened to those who wanted the modifications to come into result sooner than April 2020 and "had concurred that the modifications should remain in location within the year - by October 2019".
In his Budget on Monday, the chancellor stated the modification to fixed-odds stakes would enter into force next October at the very same time as changes to duty charged on gaming firms based abroad however running in the UK.
The federal government states co-ordinating the date of the two changes would suggest the federal government would not be hit by a fall in tax earnings.
Who is Tracey Crouch?
The 43-year-old MP has 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 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 actually worked for numerous Tory MPs, consisting of Michael Howard and David Davis before meaning election
She had her first kid in 2016 and is thought 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 applauded Ms Crouch's "bold and principled decision" and stated Culture Secretary Jeremy Wright "must be thoroughly embarrassed" of prioritising "corporate interests over victims, profits over public health and greed over great".
MPs from all sides of your home participated his criticism. Former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith stated it ought 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 a lot of people whose lives have been damaged by this dependency ... We require to do this really quickly, as rapidly as we can and in the meantime, the gaming industry will make about ₤ 1bn as a result of this delay. That's not right."
Labour has actually informed the BBC that they will put down a modification to the Finance Bill to attempt and bring in the changes next April.