bit.ly
sports betting Minister Tracey Crouch resigns over 'hold-up' to wagering crackdown

1 November 2018

sports betting minister Tracey Crouch has 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 into force in October 2019.

Ms Crouch said pushing back the date was "unjustifiable" and it could cost the lives of problem bettors.

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

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

High stakes for fixed-odds wagering machines

' I lost ₤ 250,000 on sports betting devices'

sports betting maker stakes to be cut to ₤ 2

The federal government has denied Labour declares that MPs had 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 been intended to be introduced in April 2020.

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

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

Skip twitter post by Tracey Crouch

Allow Twitter material?

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

Accept and continue

The BBC is not responsible for the content of external websites.
bet9ja.com
End of twitter post by Tracey Crouch
bet9ja.com
"From the time of the statement to minimize stakes and its implementation, over ₤ 1.6 bn will be lost on these makers.

"In addition, 2 individuals will unfortunately take their lives every day due to gambling-related problems and, for that factor as much as any other, I think this hold-up is unjustifiable."

She included: "It is a truth of federal government that ministers should abide by collective obligation and can not disagree with policy, let alone when it is policy made versus your dreams 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" including: "May God bless her dedication to doing right."

Former foreign secretary Boris Johnson tweeted, external that she "deserves big credit not just for her project but for sticking up for her principles".
bet9ja.com
Fixed-odds wagering terminals create ₤ 1.8 bn in profits a year for the wagering market, 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 games such as roulette. Anti-gambling advocates state the makers let gamers lose cash too rapidly, leading to dependency and social, psychological and financial issues.

But bookmakers have cautioned the cut in stakes might lead to countless outlets closing.
bet9ja.com
In her response to Ms Crouch, the PM said the government had actually listened to those who wanted the modifications to come into effect sooner than April 2020 and "had concurred that the changes should remain in place within the year - by October 2019".

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

The federal government states co-ordinating the date of the 2 changes would imply the 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, considering that 2010

She was promoted to the front bench as sports betting minister in 2015

She is known for her opposition to fox hunting 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
bet9ja.com
She had worked for different 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 very first Tory minister to take maternity leave

But in the Commons on Thursday, Labour's deputy leader Tom Watson accused the federal government of "capitulating to the sports betting market".

He praised Ms Crouch's "bold and principled decision" and said Culture Secretary Jeremy Wright "need to be thoroughly ashamed" of prioritising "business interests over victims, earnings over public health and greed over excellent".

MPs from all sides of your house participated in his criticism. Former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith said it needs to be talked about as part of the Finance Bill later this month.

Week ahead in Parliament: The Finance Bill
bet9ja.com
He told the BBC: "There are lots of individuals whose lives have actually been harmed by this dependency ... We need 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 hold-up. That's not best."

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