Sports Minister Tracey Crouch Resigns over ‘Hold-up’ To Betting Crackdown
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 machines.
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 stated pressing back the date was “unjustifiable” and it could cost the lives of issue bettors.
She tweeted: “Politicians come and go however principles stick with us forever.”
Prime Minister Theresa May said she was disappointed Ms Crouch had resigned but there had been “no delay in advancing this essential step”.
High stakes for fixed-odds wagering makers
‘ I lost ₤ 250,000 on wagering makers’
stakes to be cut to ₤ 2
The 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 recommended the cut had been intended to be presented 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 application, over ₤ 1.6 bn will be lost on these makers.
“In addition, 2 individuals will unfortunately 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 truth of government that ministers must adhere to cumulative responsibility and can not disagree with policy, not to mention when it is policy made against your wishes relating to your own portfolio.”
‘God bless’
Among those praising her on social networks, 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 “deserves big credit not simply for her campaign but for sticking up for her principles”.
Fixed-odds wagering terminals produce ₤ 1.8 bn in earnings a year for the wagering market, according to the Gambling Commission, external, and taxes of ₤ 400m for the federal government.
Currently, individuals can bet as much as ₤ 100 every 20 seconds on electronic casino video games such as roulette. Anti-gambling advocates say the devices let gamers lose cash too quickly, leading to dependency and social, mental and financial problems.
But bookmakers have warned the cut in stakes could cause thousands of outlets closing.
In her action to Ms Crouch, the PM said the federal government had listened to those who wanted the modifications to come into effect sooner than April 2020 and “had actually concurred that the changes ought to be 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 exact same time as changes to responsibility charged on sports betting firms based abroad but operating in the UK.
The federal government states co-ordinating the date of the 2 modifications would suggest the government would not be hit by a fall in tax revenue.
Who is Tracey Crouch?
The 43-year-old MP has actually 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 searching and her love of football – she is a qualified 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, including Michael Howard and David Davis before meaning election
She had her first kid in 2016 and is believed 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 federal government of “capitulating to the sports betting market”.
He applauded Ms Crouch’s “courageous and principled choice” and stated Culture Secretary Jeremy Wright “ought to be completely ashamed” of prioritising “corporate interests over victims, profits over public health and greed over excellent”.
MPs from all sides of your house participated in his criticism. Former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith stated it should be talked about as part of the Finance Bill later on this month.
Week ahead in Parliament: The Finance Bill
He told the BBC: “There are lots of people whose lives have been damaged by this addiction … We need to do this very rapidly, as rapidly as we can and in the meantime, the sports betting industry will make about ₤ 1bn as an outcome of this delay. That’s wrong.”
Labour has actually told the BBC that they will put down an amendment to the Finance Bill to try and bring in the modifications next April.
