sports betting Minister Tracey Crouch resigns over 'delay' to sports betting crackdown

1 November 2018

sports betting minister Tracey Crouch has actually resigned over "hold-ups" to a crackdown on optimal 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 issue gamblers.

She tweeted: "Politicians reoccur however concepts stick with us forever."

Prime Minister Theresa May said she was disappointed Ms Crouch had resigned but there had actually been "no hold-up in bringing forward this important step".
bit.ly
High stakes for fixed-odds wagering devices

' I lost ₤ 250,000 on sports betting machines'

sports betting maker stakes to be cut to ₤ 2

The federal government has actually rejected Labour declares that MPs had been led to believe the cut would enter 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, application of these changes are now being postponed up until October 2019 due to commitments made by others to those with registered interests.

This Twitter post can not be displayed in your internet browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser.View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the material of external websites.
bet9ja.com
Skip twitter post by Tracey Crouch

Allow Twitter material?

This short article consists of content provided by Twitter. We request your permission before anything is filled, as they might be using cookies and other innovations. You may desire to read Twitter's cookie policy, external and personal privacy policy, external before accepting. To see this material choose 'accept and continue'.

Accept and continue
bit.ly
The BBC is not responsible for the material of external sites.

End of twitter post by Tracey Crouch

"From the time of the announcement to decrease stakes and its application, over ₤ 1.6 bn will be lost on these devices.
bet9ja.com
"In addition, two people will tragically take their lives every day due to gambling-related issues and, for that reason as much as any other, I think this hold-up is unjustifiable."

She included: "It is a truth of federal government that ministers must stick to collective duty and can not disagree with policy, not to mention when it is policy made against your desires connecting to your own portfolio."
bit.ly
'God bless'

Among those applauding her on social networks, the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby tweeted, external that she was "principled and brave" including: "May God bless her commitment to doing right."

Former foreign secretary Boris Johnson tweeted, external that she "deserves big credit not just for her project but for sticking up for her concepts".

Fixed-odds sports betting terminals produce ₤ 1.8 bn in income a year for the sports betting industry, according to the Gambling Commission, external, and taxes of ₤ 400m for the federal government.

Currently, individuals can wager up to ₤ 100 every 20 seconds on electronic casino video games such as roulette. Anti-gambling campaigners state the makers let players lose money too quickly, causing addiction and social, mental and monetary problems.

But bookies have warned the cut in stakes might result in thousands of outlets closing.

In her reaction to Ms Crouch, the PM said the government had listened to those who wanted the modifications to come into effect faster than April 2020 and "had actually concurred that the modifications should be in place within the year - by October 2019".
bet9ja.com
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 modifications to responsibility charged on gaming firms based abroad however operating in the UK.

The federal government says co-ordinating the date of the 2 changes would imply the federal government would not be struck by a fall in .

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 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, consisting of Michael Howard and David Davis before meaning election

She had her very first child in 2016 and is believed to have been the very first Tory minister to take maternity leave
bit.ly
But in the Commons on Thursday, Labour's deputy leader Tom Watson implicated the federal government of "capitulating to the sports betting industry".

He praised Ms Crouch's "brave and principled choice" and said Culture Secretary Jeremy Wright "must be completely embarrassed" of prioritising "business interests over victims, profits over public health and greed over good".

MPs from all sides of your home took part his criticism. Former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith said it should be discussed as part of the Finance Bill later on this month.

Week ahead in Parliament: The Finance Bill

He told the BBC: "There are plenty of people whose lives have actually been harmed by this dependency ... We need to do this extremely quickly, as rapidly as we can and in the meantime, the sports betting market will make about ₤ 1bn as a result of this delay. That's wrong."

Labour has told the BBC that they will put down a change to the Finance Bill to attempt and bring in the modifications next April.