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 "delays" to a crackdown on optimal stakes for fixed-odds wagering makers.
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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 stated pressing back the date was "unjustifiable" and it could cost the lives of issue gamblers.

She tweeted: "Politicians come and go however concepts stick with us permanently."

Prime Minister Theresa May stated she was disappointed Ms Crouch had actually resigned but there had been "no hold-up in advancing this crucial measure".

High stakes for fixed-odds sports betting devices
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' I lost ₤ 250,000 on wagering devices'

sports betting machine stakes to be cut to ₤ 2

The government has rejected Labour declares 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 planned to be presented in April 2020.
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But in her resignation letter, Ms Crouch said: "Unfortunately, execution of these modifications are now being delayed up until October 2019 due to commitments made by others to those with registered interests.

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End of twitter post by Tracey Crouch

"From the time of the announcement to decrease stakes and its execution, over ₤ 1.6 bn will be lost on these makers.

"In addition, two people will unfortunately take their lives every day due to gambling-related problems and, because of that as much as any other, I think this hold-up is unjustifiable."

She included: "It is a fact of government that ministers need to comply with cumulative responsibility and can not disagree with policy, let alone when it is policy made against your wishes 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 courageous" adding: "May God bless her dedication to doing right."

Former foreign secretary Boris Johnson tweeted, external that she "deserves huge credit not simply for her campaign however for sticking up for her concepts".

Fixed-odds wagering terminals produce ₤ 1.8 bn in profits a year for the wagering market, according to the Gambling Commission, external, and taxes of ₤ 400m for the federal government.
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Currently, individuals can wager up to ₤ 100 every 20 seconds on electronic gambling establishment games such as live roulette. Anti-gambling campaigners say the machines let gamers lose money too quickly, resulting in dependency and social, mental and financial issues.

But bookies have warned the cut in stakes could result in countless outlets closing.

In her response to Ms Crouch, the PM said the government had actually listened to those who wanted the modifications to come into effect sooner than April 2020 and "had concurred that the modifications ought to 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 duty charged on gambling companies based abroad but running in the UK.

The federal government states co-ordinating the date of the two changes would mean the government would not be hit by a fall in .

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 hunting and her love of football - she is a qualified 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, including Michael Howard and David Davis before standing for election

She had her first child in 2016 and is believed 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 gaming market".

He applauded Ms Crouch's "bold and principled choice" and said Culture Secretary Jeremy Wright "must be thoroughly embarrassed" of prioritising "corporate interests over victims, profits over public health and greed over excellent".

MPs from all sides of the House joined in his criticism. Former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith said it needs to be talked about as part of the Finance Bill later this month.
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Week ahead in Parliament: The Finance Bill

He informed the BBC: "There are a lot of people whose lives have actually been harmed by this dependency ... We need to do this very rapidly, as rapidly as we can and in the meantime, the gambling market will make about ₤ 1bn as an outcome of this hold-up. That's not ideal."

Labour has informed the BBC that they will put down a modification to the Finance Bill to attempt and bring in the changes next April.