sports betting Minister Tracey Crouch resigns over 'hold-up' to wagering crackdown
1 November 2018
sports betting minister Tracey Crouch has resigned over "hold-ups" to a crackdown on optimal stakes for fixed-odds wagering machines.
Chancellor Philip Hammond stated in Monday's Budget that the cut in stakes from ₤ 100 to ₤ 2 would come into force in October 2019.
Ms Crouch said pressing back the date was "unjustifiable" and it might cost the lives of problem bettors.
She tweeted: "Politicians reoccur but principles stick with us permanently."
Prime Minister Theresa May stated she was dissatisfied Ms Crouch had resigned but there had actually been "no delay in bringing forward this important step".
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The government has denied Labour claims that MPs had been led to think the cut would enter 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 said: "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 statement to reduce stakes and its execution, over ₤ 1.6 bn will be lost on these makers.
"In addition, 2 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 government that ministers should abide by collective obligation and can not disagree with policy, not to mention when it is policy made against your desires connecting to 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" including: "May God bless her dedication to doing right."
Former foreign secretary Boris Johnson tweeted, external that she "should have big credit not just for her campaign however for sticking up for her concepts".
Fixed-odds sports betting terminals produce ₤ 1.8 bn in revenue a year for the sports betting industry, according to the Gambling Commission, external, and taxes of ₤ 400m for the government.
Currently, people can wager as much as ₤ 100 every 20 seconds on electronic gambling establishment video games such as roulette. Anti-gambling advocates say the makers let players lose cash too rapidly, leading to addiction and social, mental and financial problems.
But bookmakers have warned the cut in stakes might lead to countless outlets closing.
In her response to Ms Crouch, the PM said the federal government had listened to those who wanted the modifications to come into impact sooner than April 2020 and "had actually agreed that the modifications need to be in location within the year - by October 2019".
In his Budget on Monday, the chancellor stated the modification to fixed-odds stakes would enter force next October at the very same time as modifications to duty charged on gambling firms based abroad but operating in the UK.
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The government states co-ordinating the date of the two modifications would imply the federal government would not be struck by a fall in tax revenue.
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Who is Tracey Crouch?
The 43-year-old MP has represented Chatham and Aylesford, in Kent, given that 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 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
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She had her first kid in 2016 and is believed to have been the very first Tory minister to take maternity leave
But in the Commons on Thursday, Labour's deputy leader Tom Watson implicated the government of "capitulating to the gambling industry".
He applauded Ms Crouch's "bold and principled choice" and said Culture Secretary Jeremy Wright "need to be completely ashamed" of prioritising "business interests over victims, earnings over public health and greed over great".
MPs from all sides of your house joined in his criticism. Former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith stated it must be gone over as part of the Finance Bill later on 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 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 wrong."
Labour has told the BBC that they will put down a modification to the Finance Bill to try and bring in the changes next April.
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Sports Minister Tracey Crouch Resigns over 'Delay' To Betting Crackdown
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