sports betting Minister Tracey Crouch resigns over 'delay' to wagering crackdown
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1 November 2018
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sports betting minister Tracey Crouch has resigned over "hold-ups" 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 come into force in October 2019.
Ms Crouch stated pushing back the date was "unjustifiable" and it might cost the lives of problem gamblers.
She tweeted: "Politicians come and go but concepts stick with us forever."
Prime Minister Theresa May said she was dissatisfied Ms Crouch had resigned but there had been "no hold-up in advancing this important measure".
High stakes for fixed-odds wagering devices
' I lost ₤ 250,000 on sports betting makers'
sports betting maker 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 enter force at the start of the next tax year, in April 2019. They recommended the cut had been intended to be introduced in April 2020.
But in her resignation letter, Ms Crouch said: "Unfortunately, implementation of these changes are now being postponed 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 implementation, over ₤ 1.6 bn will be lost on these devices.
"In addition, two individuals will unfortunately take their lives every day due to gambling-related issues and, for that reason as much as any other, I believe this hold-up is unjustifiable."
She added: "It is a fact of government that ministers need to follow cumulative responsibility and can not disagree with policy, let alone when it is policy made versus your wishes relating to 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 bold" adding: "May God bless her dedication to doing right."
Former foreign secretary Boris Johnson tweeted, external that she "is worthy of huge credit not simply for her project but for sticking up for her principles".
Fixed-odds sports betting terminals generate ₤ 1.8 bn in revenue a year for the wagering industry, according to the Gambling Commission, external, and taxes of ₤ 400m for the federal government.
Currently, people can bet approximately ₤ 100 every 20 seconds on electronic gambling establishment video games such as roulette. Anti-gambling campaigners say the devices let gamers lose cash too rapidly, leading to addiction and social, psychological and monetary problems.
But bookmakers have cautioned the cut in stakes might result in countless outlets closing.
In her response to Ms Crouch, the PM said the federal government had listened to those who wanted the changes to come into effect earlier than April 2020 and "had actually agreed that the modifications must remain 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 very same time as modifications to duty charged on gaming firms based abroad however in the UK.
The federal government says co-ordinating the date of the 2 modifications would suggest the government would not be hit by a fall in tax income.
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 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 various Tory MPs, consisting of Michael Howard and David Davis before standing for election
She had her first child in 2016 and is thought 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 sports betting market".
He applauded Ms Crouch's "courageous and principled decision" and stated Culture Secretary Jeremy Wright "ought to be thoroughly ashamed" of prioritising "corporate interests over victims, earnings over public health and greed over good".
MPs from all sides of your house participated his criticism. Former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith stated it ought to be gone over as part of the Finance Bill later on this month.
Week ahead in Parliament: The Finance Bill
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He told the BBC: "There are plenty of individuals whose lives have been harmed by this dependency ... We need to do this extremely rapidly, as rapidly as we can and in the meantime, the gambling industry 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 bring in the changes next April.
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Sports Minister Tracey Crouch Resigns over 'Hold-up' To Betting Crackdown
victory0213646 edited this page 2024-12-31 06:20:30 +00:00