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

1 November 2018

sports betting minister Tracey Crouch has resigned over "delays" to a crackdown on maximum stakes for fixed-odds wagering 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 pushing back the date was "unjustifiable" and it could cost the lives of issue bettors.

She tweeted: "Politicians come and go however principles remain with us forever."
Prime Minister Theresa May said she was dissatisfied Ms Crouch had actually resigned however there had been "no hold-up in bringing forward this crucial measure".
High stakes for fixed-odds wagering devices
' I lost ₤ 250,000 on sports betting devices'
sports betting device stakes to be cut to ₤ 2
The federal government has actually rejected Labour declares 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 recommended the cut had been planned to be introduced in April 2020.
But in her resignation letter, Ms Crouch stated: "Unfortunately, implementation of these changes 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 minimize stakes and its execution, over ₤ 1.6 bn will be lost on these machines.
"In addition, 2 people will unfortunately take their lives every day due to gambling-related problems and, for that reason as much as any other, I believe this delay is unjustifiable."
She added: "It is a reality of federal government that ministers should abide by cumulative duty and can not disagree with policy, not to mention when it is policy made against your desires relating 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 bold" adding: "May God bless her dedication to doing right."
Former foreign secretary Boris Johnson tweeted, external that she "should have substantial credit not simply for her project however for sticking up for her principles".
Fixed-odds sports betting terminals generate ₤ 1.8 bn in earnings a year for the wagering market, according to the Gambling Commission, external, and taxes of ₤ 400m for the government.
Currently, individuals can bet as much as ₤ 100 every 20 seconds on electronic gambling establishment video games such as roulette. Anti-gambling campaigners say the devices let gamers lose cash too quickly, resulting in dependency and social, psychological and financial issues.

But bookmakers have alerted the cut in stakes might cause countless outlets closing.
In her action to Ms Crouch, the PM stated the government had listened to those who desired the modifications to come into result quicker than April 2020 and "had actually concurred that the modifications should be in place within the year - by October 2019".
In his Budget on Monday, the chancellor stated the change to fixed-odds stakes would come into force next October at the exact same time as changes to duty charged on sports betting firms based abroad but operating in the UK.
The federal government states co-ordinating the date of the 2 changes would mean the federal government would not be hit by a fall in tax income.
Who is Tracey Crouch?
The 43-year-old MP has represented Chatham and Aylesford, in Kent, since 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 competent 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 actually worked for numerous Tory MPs, including Michael Howard and David Davis before meaning election
She had her 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 industry".
He praised Ms Crouch's "brave and principled decision" and stated Culture Secretary Jeremy Wright "ought to be completely embarrassed" of prioritising "business interests over victims, revenues over public health and greed over good".
MPs from all sides of your home participated in his criticism. Former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith said it ought to be gone over 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 people whose lives have been harmed by this dependency ... We require to do this really quickly, as quickly as we can and in the meantime, the sports betting industry will make about ₤ 1bn as a result of this delay. That's not ideal."
Labour has actually informed the BBC that they will put down a change to the Finance Bill to try and generate the modifications next April.