bet9ja.com
sports betting Minister Tracey Crouch resigns over ‘hold-up’ to wagering crackdown
bet9ja.com
1 November 2018

sports betting minister Tracey Crouch has resigned over “delays” to a crackdown on maximum stakes for fixed-odds wagering makers.

Chancellor Philip Hammond stated in Monday's Budget that the cut in stakes from ₤ 100 to ₤ 2 would come into force in October 2019.

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

She tweeted: “Politicians reoccur but principles stay with us permanently.“

Prime Minister Theresa May stated she was dissatisfied Ms Crouch had resigned but there had been “no hold-up in bringing forward this important step”.

High stakes for fixed-odds wagering makers

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

sports betting machine stakes to be cut to ₤ 2

The government has actually rejected Labour claims that MPs had been led to think the cut would enter force at the start of the next tax year, in April 2019. They recommended the cut had been meant to be introduced in April 2020.

But in her resignation letter, Ms Crouch said: “Unfortunately, execution of these changes are now being delayed up until October 2019 due to dedications made by others to those with signed up interests.

This Twitter post can not be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or attempt a various browser.View initial material on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the material of external websites.

Skip twitter post by Tracey Crouch

Allow Twitter content?

This short article includes material offered by Twitter. We request for your consent before anything is filled, as they may be using cookies and other innovations. You might want to check out Twitter's cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this material choose ‘accept and continue’.

Accept and continue

The BBC is not responsible for the material of external websites.

End of twitter post by Tracey Crouch

"From the time of the announcement to lower stakes and its application, over ₤ 1.6 bn will be lost on these machines.

"In addition, 2 people will tragically take their lives every day due to gambling-related issues and, because of that as much as any other, I think this delay is unjustifiable.“

She included: “It is a truth of federal government that ministers should comply with cumulative duty and can not disagree with policy, let alone when it is policy made versus your desires connecting 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” including: “May God bless her commitment to doing right.“

Former foreign secretary Boris Johnson tweeted, external that she “deserves big credit not just for her campaign but for sticking up for her principles”.

Fixed-odds wagering terminals generate ₤ 1.8 bn in profits a year for the sports betting market, 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 casino games such as live roulette. Anti-gambling advocates state the makers let players lose money too quickly, leading to addiction and social, psychological and monetary problems.

But bookmakers have alerted the cut in stakes could lead to thousands of outlets closing.

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

In his Budget on Monday, the said the modification to fixed-odds stakes would come into force next October at the same time as modifications to responsibility charged on gaming firms based abroad however running in the UK.

The federal government says co-ordinating the date of the 2 changes would suggest the federal government would not be struck by a fall in tax profits.

Who is Tracey Crouch?

The 43-year-old MP has actually represented Chatham and Aylesford, in Kent, because 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 informed at Folkestone School for Girls, she went on to get a degree in law and politics from Hull University

She had worked for numerous Tory MPs, consisting of Michael Howard and David Davis before standing for election

She had her first child in 2016 and is believed to have been the very 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 gambling market”.

He applauded Ms Crouch's “bold and principled choice” and said Culture Secretary Jeremy Wright “should be thoroughly embarrassed” of prioritising “corporate interests over victims, profits over public health and greed over great”.

MPs from all sides of your home participated his criticism. Former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith said it ought to be discussed as part of the Finance Bill later on this month.

Week ahead in Parliament: The Finance Bill
bit.ly
He informed the BBC: “There are lots of individuals whose lives have been harmed by this dependency ... We require to do this very quickly, as rapidly as we can and in the meantime, the gaming market will make about ₤ 1bn as a result of this delay. That's not right.“

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