sports betting Minister Tracey Crouch resigns over 'delay' to wagering 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 stated in Monday's Budget that the cut in stakes from ₤ 100 to ₤ 2 would come into force in October 2019.
Ms Crouch said pushing back the date was "unjustifiable" and it might cost the lives of problem gamblers.
She tweeted: "Politicians come and go however principles stick with us permanently."
Prime Minister Theresa May stated she was dissatisfied Ms Crouch had resigned but there had been "no delay in bringing forward this crucial procedure".
High stakes for fixed-odds wagering makers
' I lost ₤ 250,000 on
wagering devices'
sports betting device stakes to be cut to ₤ 2
The government has actually rejected Labour
declares that MPs had actually been led to think the cut would enter into force at the start of the next tax year, in April 2019. They suggested the cut had actually been meant to be introduced in April 2020.
But in her
resignation letter, Ms Crouch stated: "Unfortunately, application of these modifications are now being delayed up until October 2019 due to dedications 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 implementation, over ₤ 1.6 bn will be lost on these devices.
"In addition, 2 individuals will unfortunately take their lives every day due to gambling-related issues and, because of that as much as any other, I believe this delay is unjustifiable."
She included: "It is a truth of federal government that ministers need to stick to collective responsibility and can not disagree with policy, not to mention when it is policy made versus your dreams associating with your own portfolio."
'God bless'
Among those applauding her on social networks, the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby tweeted, external that she was "principled and brave" adding: "May God bless her commitment to doing right."
Former foreign secretary Boris Johnson tweeted, external that she "should have huge credit not just for her project however for sticking up for her principles".
Fixed-odds
sports betting terminals generate ₤ 1.8 bn in revenue a year for the wagering market, according to the Gambling Commission, external, and taxes of ₤ 400m for the government.
Currently, people can wager up to ₤ 100 every 20 seconds on electronic gambling establishment games such as roulette. Anti-gambling advocates state the devices let
gamers lose cash too rapidly, leading to
addiction and social, mental and financial problems.
But bookmakers have
alerted the cut in stakes might lead to thousands of outlets closing.
In her response to Ms Crouch, the PM stated the
federal government had
listened to those who desired the modifications to come into effect sooner than April 2020 and "had actually concurred that the modifications ought 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 force next October at the exact same time as changes to
duty charged on
gambling companies based abroad but running in the UK.
The federal government says co-ordinating the date of the two changes would imply the government would not be struck by a fall in
tax earnings.
Who is Tracey Crouch?
The 43
-year-old MP has represented Chatham and Aylesford, in Kent, considering that 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 certified FA coach
Grammar school educated at
Folkestone School for Girls, she went on to get a degree in law and politics from Hull University
She had actually worked for various Tory MPs,
including Michael Howard and David Davis before representing 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 accused the government of "capitulating to the gaming market".
He applauded Ms Crouch's "bold and principled choice" and stated Culture Secretary Jeremy Wright "ought to be completely ashamed" of prioritising "business interests over victims, profits over public health and greed over great".
MPs from all sides of your home participated his criticism. Former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith stated it should be discussed as part of the Finance Bill later this month.
Week ahead in Parliament: The Finance Bill
He told the BBC: "There are a lot of individuals whose lives have been harmed by this addiction ... We need to do this very rapidly, as quickly as we can and in the meantime, the gambling market will make about ₤ 1bn as a result of this delay. That's not right."
Labour has informed the BBC that they will put down a modification to the Finance Bill to try and
generate the modifications next April.
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