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 "hold-ups" to a crackdown on optimal stakes for fixed-odds sports betting 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 said pushing back the date was "unjustifiable" and it could cost the lives of problem bettors.
She tweeted: "Politicians reoccur but principles remain with us permanently."
Prime Minister Theresa May stated she was disappointed Ms Crouch had resigned however there had actually been "no hold-up in advancing this crucial step".
High stakes for fixed-odds wagering devices
' I lost ₤ 250,000 on wagering machines'
sports betting machine stakes to be cut to ₤ 2
The federal government has actually denied Labour declares 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 actually been planned to be introduced in April 2020.
But in her resignation letter, Ms Crouch said: "Unfortunately, execution of these modifications are now being postponed until October 2019 due to commitments 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 lower stakes and its application, over ₤ 1.6 bn will be lost on these makers.
"In addition, 2 people will tragically take their lives every day due to gambling-related issues and, for that factor as much as any other, I believe this hold-up is unjustifiable."
She added: "It is a fact of government that ministers should abide by collective responsibility and can not disagree with policy, let alone when it is policy made versus your wishes 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 bold" 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 but for sticking up for her principles".
Fixed-odds wagering terminals create ₤ 1.8 bn in income a year for the sports betting market, according to the Gambling Commission, external, and taxes of ₤ 400m for the government.
Currently, individuals can wager up to ₤ 100 every 20 seconds on electronic casino video games such as roulette. Anti-gambling campaigners state the machines let players lose cash too rapidly, causing dependency and social, mental and monetary problems.
But bookmakers have warned the cut in stakes might cause thousands of outlets closing.
In her response to Ms Crouch, the PM said the government had listened to those who desired the changes to come into effect faster than April 2020 and "had agreed that the changes need to remain in place within the year - by October 2019".
In his Budget on Monday, the chancellor said the modification to fixed-odds stakes would enter into force next October at the very same time as changes to responsibility charged on gambling companies based abroad but operating in the UK.
The government says co-ordinating the date of the 2 changes would imply the federal government would not be hit by a fall in tax income.
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 searching and her love of football - she is a qualified 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 different Tory MPs, including Michael Howard and David Davis before representing election
She had her first child in 2016 and is thought 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 government of "capitulating to the sports betting market".
He applauded Ms Crouch's "bold and principled choice" and said Culture Secretary Jeremy Wright "must be completely embarrassed" of prioritising "corporate interests over victims, revenues over public health and greed over excellent".
MPs from all sides of your home participated in his criticism. Former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith said it should be talked about as part of the Finance Bill later this month.
Week ahead in Parliament: The Finance Bill
He told the BBC: "There are plenty of individuals whose lives have been damaged by this addiction ... We need to do this really rapidly, as quickly as we can and in the meantime, the gaming market will make about ₤ 1bn as a result of this delay. That's not best."
Labour has actually told the BBC that they will put down a modification to the Finance Bill to attempt and bring in the changes next April.
