sports betting Minister Tracey Crouch resigns over 'delay' to wagering crackdown
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1 November 2018
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sports betting minister Tracey Crouch has actually 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 said pressing back the date was "unjustifiable" and it could cost the lives of issue bettors.
She tweeted: "Politicians reoccur however principles stick with us permanently."
Prime Minister Theresa May said she was disappointed Ms Crouch had resigned but there had been "no hold-up in advancing this essential measure".
High stakes for fixed-odds sports betting makers
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' I lost ₤ 250,000 on sports betting machines'
sports betting device stakes to be cut to ₤ 2
The government has actually rejected Labour claims that MPs had actually been led to believe the cut would come 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 up until 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 minimize stakes and its implementation, 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 issues and, for that reason as much as any other, I think this delay is unjustifiable."
She included: "It is a fact of federal government that ministers need to abide by collective obligation and can not disagree with policy, not to mention when it is policy made against your dreams connecting to your own portfolio."
'God bless'
Among those praising her on social media, the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby tweeted, external that she was "principled and courageous" adding: "May God bless her commitment to doing right."
Former foreign secretary Boris Johnson tweeted, external that she "deserves huge credit not simply for her project but for sticking up for her concepts".
Fixed-odds sports betting terminals create ₤ 1.8 bn in revenue 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 gambling establishment video games such as roulette. Anti-gambling campaigners state the machines let players lose money too quickly, causing dependency and social, psychological and financial problems.
But bookies have cautioned the cut in stakes might result in thousands of outlets closing.
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In her action to Ms Crouch, the PM said the government had actually listened to those who wanted the modifications to come into impact quicker than April 2020 and "had concurred that the changes need to be in location 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 very same time as modifications to duty charged on gaming companies based abroad however operating in the UK.
The government says co-ordinating the date of the two modifications would indicate the government would not be struck by a fall in tax profits.
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 understood for her opposition to fox hunting and her love of football - she is a qualified FA coach
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 numerous Tory MPs, including Michael Howard and David Davis before standing for election
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 accused the federal government of "capitulating to the gambling industry".
He applauded Ms Crouch's "bold and principled choice" and stated Culture Secretary Jeremy Wright "must be completely embarrassed" of prioritising "business interests over victims, revenues over public health and greed over good".
MPs from all sides of your house joined in his criticism. Former Tory leader Iain said it must be gone over as part of the Finance Bill later on this month.
Week ahead in Parliament: The Finance Bill
He told the BBC: "There are a lot of individuals whose lives have actually been damaged by this addiction ... We need to do this really rapidly, as quickly as we can and in the meantime, the sports betting industry will make about ₤ 1bn as an outcome of this delay. That's not right."
Labour has actually told the BBC that they will put down a change to the Finance Bill to try and bring in the changes next April.
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Sports Minister Tracey Crouch Resigns over 'Hold up' To Betting Crackdown
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