bet9ja.com
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 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 said pushing back the date was "unjustifiable" and it might cost the lives of issue bettors.

She tweeted: "Politicians reoccur but principles stay with us forever."

Prime Minister Theresa May said she was disappointed Ms Crouch had resigned however there had actually been "no delay in advancing this important procedure".

High stakes for fixed-odds sports betting makers

' I lost ₤ 250,000 on wagering makers'

sports betting machine stakes to be cut to ₤ 2

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

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

This Twitter post can not be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser.View initial content on Twitter The BBC is not accountable for the content of external sites.

Skip twitter post by Tracey Crouch

Allow Twitter content?
bit.ly
This short article includes material supplied by Twitter. We request your permission before anything is packed, as they may be utilizing cookies and other innovations. You might desire to read Twitter's cookie policy, external and personal privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content pick 'accept and continue'.

Accept and continue
bet9ja.com
The BBC is not accountable for the material of external sites.

End of twitter post by Tracey Crouch
bet9ja.com
"From the time of the announcement to lower stakes and its implementation, over ₤ 1.6 bn will be lost on these makers.

"In addition, two people will unfortunately 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 added: "It is a truth of government that ministers need to adhere to cumulative obligation and can not disagree with policy, let alone when it is policy made versus your wishes connecting to your own portfolio."
bet9ja.com
'God bless'

Among those applauding her on social media, the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby tweeted, external that she was "principled and courageous" including: "May God bless her commitment 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 create ₤ 1.8 bn in income a year for the wagering market, according to the Gambling Commission, external, and taxes of ₤ 400m for the federal government.

Currently, individuals can wager as much as ₤ 100 every 20 seconds on electronic casino video games such as roulette. Anti-gambling campaigners say the machines let gamers lose money too quickly, causing addiction and social, mental and financial issues.

But bookies have warned the cut in stakes could cause countless outlets closing.

In her reaction to Ms Crouch, the PM said the government had actually listened to those who desired the changes to come into effect than April 2020 and "had actually concurred that the changes need to remain in location within the year - by October 2019".

In his Budget on Monday, the chancellor stated the modification to fixed-odds stakes would enter into force next October at the same time as modifications to task charged on gaming companies based abroad but operating in the UK.

The government says co-ordinating the date of the two modifications would mean the federal government would not be struck by a fall in tax revenue.

Who is Tracey Crouch?

The 43-year-old MP has actually 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

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 representing election

She had her first child 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 implicated the government of "capitulating to the sports betting industry".

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 good".

MPs from all sides of your house participated in his criticism. Former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith said it ought to be gone over as part of the Finance Bill later on this month.
bit.ly
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 require to do this really rapidly, as rapidly as we can and in the meantime, the gambling industry will make about ₤ 1bn as an outcome of this hold-up. That's wrong."

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