sports betting Minister Tracey Crouch resigns over 'delay' to wagering crackdown
1 November 2018
sports betting minister Tracey Crouch has actually resigned over "hold-ups" to a crackdown on maximum 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 stated pushing back the date was "unjustifiable" and it could cost the lives of problem bettors.
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She tweeted: "Politicians come and go but concepts stick with us permanently."
Prime Minister Theresa May stated she was dissatisfied Ms Crouch had resigned however there had been "no hold-up in advancing this important procedure".
High stakes for fixed-odds wagering machines
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' I lost ₤ 250,000 on wagering devices'
sports betting maker stakes to be cut to ₤ 2
The federal government has actually rejected Labour declares that MPs had actually been led to think the cut would come into force at the start of the next tax year, in April 2019. They recommended the cut had actually been planned to be introduced in April 2020.
But in her resignation letter, Ms Crouch stated: "Unfortunately, application of these modifications are now being delayed till 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 minimize stakes and its execution, over ₤ 1.6 bn will be lost on these makers.
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"In addition, two individuals will unfortunately take their lives every day due to gambling-related issues and, for that factor as much as any other, I think this delay is unjustifiable."
She included: "It is a fact of federal government that ministers must adhere to cumulative responsibility and can not disagree with policy, let alone when it is policy made versus your wishes associating with your own portfolio."
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'God bless'
Among those praising 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 "deserves big credit not simply for her campaign but for sticking up for her concepts".
Fixed-odds wagering terminals generate ₤ 1.8 bn in profits a year for the wagering industry, according to the Gambling Commission, external, and taxes of ₤ 400m for the federal government.
Currently, people can wager approximately ₤ 100 every 20 seconds on electronic gambling establishment games such as live roulette. Anti-gambling advocates say the machines let gamers lose money too rapidly, resulting in addiction and social, psychological and monetary problems.
But bookies have cautioned the cut in stakes could result in countless outlets closing.
In her response to Ms Crouch, the PM said the federal government had listened to those who wanted the changes to come into result quicker than April 2020 and "had actually concurred that the changes should be in location within the year - by October 2019".
In his Budget on Monday, the chancellor said the change to fixed-odds stakes would enter into force next October at the same time as changes to task charged on gambling firms based abroad but running in the UK.
The government states co-ordinating the date of the two changes would suggest the government would not be hit by a fall in tax revenue.
Who is Tracey Crouch?
The 43-year-old MP has represented Chatham and Aylesford, in Kent, because 2010
She was promoted to the front bench as sports betting minister in 2015
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She is understood for her opposition to fox searching and her love of football - she is a qualified FA coach
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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 standing for 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 accused the government of "capitulating to the gambling market".
He praised Ms Crouch's "brave and principled decision" and stated Culture Secretary Jeremy Wright "must be completely ashamed" of prioritising "business interests over victims, revenues over public health and greed over excellent".
MPs from all sides of the House joined in his criticism. Former Iain Duncan Smith said it must be talked about 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 individuals whose lives have actually been damaged by this dependency ... We require to do this very quickly, as quickly as we can and in the meantime, the gaming industry will make about ₤ 1bn as a result of this hold-up. That's not right."
Labour has informed the BBC that they will put down a change to the Finance Bill to attempt and generate the modifications next April.
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Sports Minister Tracey Crouch Resigns over 'Delay' To Betting Crackdown
scottjess80215 edited this page 2025-01-01 00:59:37 +00:00