1

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

Freddy Bloom edited this page 2025-01-04 16:25:58 +01:00

sports betting Minister Tracey Crouch resigns over 'delay' to sports betting crackdown
bet9ja.com
1 November 2018

sports betting minister Tracey Crouch has actually resigned over "hold-ups" to a crackdown on maximum 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 force in October 2019.

Ms Crouch said pressing back the date was "unjustifiable" and it might cost the lives of issue gamblers.

She tweeted: "Politicians reoccur but principles stick with us permanently."

Prime Minister Theresa May stated she was dissatisfied Ms Crouch had actually resigned however there had actually been "no delay in bringing forward this important procedure".

High stakes for fixed-odds wagering machines

' I lost ₤ 250,000 on wagering devices'

sports betting machine stakes to be cut to ₤ 2

The government has actually rejected Labour declares that MPs had been led to believe the cut would enter into force at the start of the next tax year, in April 2019. They suggested the cut had actually been planned to be presented in April 2020.

But in her resignation letter, Ms Crouch said: "Unfortunately, application of these modifications are now being delayed till October 2019 due to commitments made by others to those with registered interests.

This Twitter post can not be shown in your web browser. Please make it possible for Javascript or try a various browser.View initial content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the material of external sites.

Skip twitter post by Tracey Crouch

Allow Twitter content?

This article consists of material supplied by Twitter. We ask for your approval before anything is packed, as they may be utilizing cookies and other innovations. You may want to read Twitter's cookie policy, external and personal privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose 'accept and continue'.

Accept and continue

The BBC is not accountable for the content of external sites.

End of twitter post by Tracey Crouch
bit.ly
"From the time of the announcement to lower 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 issues and, for that factor as much as any other, I believe this delay is unjustifiable."
bet9ja.com
She added: "It is a fact of government that ministers must abide by cumulative responsibility and can not disagree with policy, let alone when it is policy made against your dreams 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 "deserves substantial credit not just for her project however for sticking up for her principles".

Fixed-odds sports betting terminals generate ₤ 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, people can wager as much as ₤ 100 every 20 seconds on electronic gambling establishment games such as live roulette. Anti-gambling campaigners say the devices let gamers lose cash too rapidly, causing dependency and social, mental and monetary issues.

But bookmakers have alerted the cut in stakes might result in countless outlets closing.

In her response to Ms Crouch, the PM stated the government had listened to those who desired the changes to come into result earlier than April 2020 and "had agreed that the modifications must remain in place within the year - by October 2019".

In his Budget on Monday, the chancellor said the change to fixed-odds stakes would come into force next October at the same time as changes to task charged on gaming firms based abroad but operating in the UK.

The government states co-ordinating the date of the 2 modifications would suggest 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 searching and her love of football - she is a competent FA coach
bit.ly
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, consisting of Michael Howard and David Davis before meaning election

She had her very 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 implicated the federal government of "capitulating to the gaming industry".

He applauded Ms Crouch's "bold and principled decision" and stated Culture Secretary Jeremy Wright "must be thoroughly embarrassed" of prioritising "corporate interests over victims, revenues over public health and greed over excellent".

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

Week ahead in Parliament: The Finance Bill

He informed the BBC: "There are a lot of individuals whose lives have actually been damaged by this addiction ... We need to do this really quickly, as quickly as we can and in the meantime, the gaming industry will make about ₤ 1bn as a result of this delay. That's wrong."

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