sports betting Minister Tracey Crouch resigns over 'delay' to sports betting crackdown

1 November 2018

sports betting minister Tracey Crouch has actually resigned over "delays" to a crackdown on maximum stakes for fixed-odds wagering machines.
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Chancellor Philip Hammond stated 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 could cost the lives of problem bettors.

She tweeted: "Politicians reoccur however principles stay with us forever."

Prime Minister Theresa May said she was disappointed Ms Crouch had actually resigned but there had been "no delay in bringing forward this essential step".

High stakes for fixed-odds wagering makers

' I lost ₤ 250,000 on wagering devices'

sports betting machine stakes to be cut to ₤ 2

The federal government has actually rejected Labour claims that MPs had actually been led to believe the cut would enter into force at the start of the next tax year, in April 2019. They suggested the cut had been intended to be introduced in April 2020.

But in her resignation letter, Ms Crouch stated: "Unfortunately, execution of these changes are now being postponed till 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 announcement to lower stakes and its execution, over ₤ 1.6 bn will be lost on these machines.

"In addition, 2 individuals will unfortunately 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 fact of government that ministers should abide by cumulative duty and can not disagree with policy, let alone when it is policy made against your desires connecting to your own portfolio."

'God bless'
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Among those praising her on social media, the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby tweeted, external that she was "principled and brave" including: "May God bless her commitment to doing right."

Former foreign secretary Boris Johnson tweeted, external that she "is worthy of huge credit not simply for her project however for sticking up for her principles".

Fixed-odds sports betting terminals generate ₤ 1.8 bn in income 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 campaigners state the machines let gamers lose money too quickly, leading to addiction and social, psychological and monetary issues.

But bookies have actually cautioned the cut in stakes might lead to thousands of outlets closing.

In her response to Ms Crouch, the PM said the government had listened to those who wanted the modifications to come into result quicker than April 2020 and "had agreed that the changes must remain in location within the year - by October 2019".
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In his Budget on Monday, the said the modification to fixed-odds stakes would enter force next October at the very same time as changes to responsibility charged on gaming companies based abroad however running in the UK.

The federal government says co-ordinating the date of the 2 modifications would mean the federal government would not be hit by a fall in tax income.

Who is Tracey Crouch?

The 43-year-old MP has represented Chatham and Aylesford, in Kent, since 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 competent FA coach

Grade 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, consisting of Michael Howard and David Davis before meaning election

She had her very 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 implicated the federal government of "capitulating to the gambling market".
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He applauded Ms Crouch's "courageous and principled choice" and stated Culture Secretary Jeremy Wright "ought to be thoroughly ashamed" of prioritising "corporate interests over victims, revenues over public health and greed over great".
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MPs from all sides of your house participated his criticism. Former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith said it should be talked about as part of the Finance Bill later on this month.

Week ahead in Parliament: The Finance Bill
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He informed the BBC: "There are lots of people whose lives have been damaged by this addiction ... We need to do this really rapidly, as rapidly as we can and in the meantime, the gaming industry will make about ₤ 1bn as an outcome of this hold-up. That's wrong."

Labour has told the BBC that they will put down an amendment to the Finance Bill to try and generate the modifications next April.