Sports Minister Tracey Crouch Resigns over ‘Hold-up’ To Betting Crackdown

sports betting Minister Tracey Crouch resigns over ‘hold-up’ to wagering crackdown

1 November 2018

sports betting minister Tracey Crouch has resigned over “delays” to a crackdown on optimal 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 force in October 2019.

Ms Crouch said pressing back the date was “unjustifiable” and it could cost the lives of problem gamblers.

She tweeted: “Politicians come and go however principles stay with us permanently.”

Prime Minister Theresa May stated she was disappointed Ms Crouch had resigned but there had been “no delay in bringing forward this important measure”.

High stakes for fixed-odds sports betting makers

‘ I lost ₤ 250,000 on sports betting makers’

sports betting maker stakes to be cut to ₤ 2

The government has rejected Labour claims that MPs had actually been led to think the cut would enter 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 said: “Unfortunately, execution of these modifications 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 reduce stakes and its execution, over ₤ 1.6 bn will be lost on these makers.

“In addition, two individuals will tragically take their lives every day due to gambling-related problems 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 should follow cumulative duty and can not disagree with policy, let alone when it is policy made against your wishes relating to your own portfolio.”

‘God bless’

Among those praising her on social networks, the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby tweeted, external that she was “principled and bold” 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 campaign but for sticking up for her principles”.

Fixed-odds sports betting terminals create ₤ 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 bet up to ₤ 100 every 20 seconds on electronic gambling establishment video games such as roulette. Anti-gambling campaigners state the makers let players lose money too quickly, leading to addiction and social, psychological and financial issues.

But bookmakers have cautioned the cut in stakes could result in thousands of outlets closing.

In her response to Ms Crouch, the PM stated the federal government had listened to those who desired the changes to come into result earlier than April 2020 and “had actually concurred that the changes ought to remain in location within the year – by October 2019”.

In his Budget on Monday, the the change to fixed-odds stakes would come into force next October at the same time as changes to responsibility charged on sports betting companies based abroad however operating in the UK.

The government states co-ordinating the date of the two changes would indicate the federal government would not be hit by a fall in tax earnings.

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 understood for her opposition to fox searching and her love of football – she is a certified 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 actually worked for various Tory MPs, consisting of Michael Howard and David Davis before meaning election

She had her first child in 2016 and is believed to have actually been the very 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 applauded Ms Crouch’s “brave and principled choice” and stated Culture Secretary Jeremy Wright “should be thoroughly ashamed” of prioritising “corporate interests over victims, profits over public health and greed over good”.

MPs from all sides of the House participated in his criticism. Former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith stated it should be talked about 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 individuals whose lives have actually been harmed by this addiction … We require to do this very quickly, as quickly as we can and in the meantime, the gambling industry will make about ₤ 1bn as an outcome of this delay. That’s not ideal.”

Labour has informed the BBC that they will put down a change to the Finance Bill to try and generate the modifications next April.