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

sports betting minister Tracey Crouch has resigned over "hold-ups" to a crackdown on maximum stakes for fixed-odds sports betting machines.

Chancellor Philip Hammond stated in Monday's Budget that the cut in stakes from ₤ 100 to ₤ 2 would enter 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 come and go but principles remain with us forever."

Prime Minister Theresa May stated she was dissatisfied Ms Crouch had resigned however there had been "no delay in advancing this crucial measure".

High stakes for fixed-odds wagering devices

' I lost ₤ 250,000 on wagering devices'

sports betting device stakes to be cut to ₤ 2

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

But in her resignation letter, Ms Crouch stated: "Unfortunately, execution of these changes are now being postponed till 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 make it possible for Javascript or attempt a different browser.View original material on Twitter The BBC is not accountable for the content of external sites.

Skip twitter post by Tracey Crouch

Allow Twitter material?

This article includes content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is packed, as they might be using cookies and other technologies. You may desire to check out Twitter's cookie policy, external and personal privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content pick '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 decrease stakes and its implementation, over ₤ 1.6 bn will be lost on these machines.

"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 hold-up is unjustifiable."

She included: "It is a reality of government that ministers should stick to collective duty and can not disagree with policy, let alone when it is policy made against your dreams associating with 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 Boris Johnson tweeted, external that she "is worthy of substantial credit not simply for her project but for sticking up for her principles".

Fixed-odds sports betting terminals produce ₤ 1.8 bn in revenue a year for the sports betting industry, according to the Gambling Commission, external, and taxes of ₤ 400m for the government.

Currently, individuals can wager up to ₤ 100 every 20 seconds on electronic gambling establishment games such as live roulette. Anti-gambling advocates say the makers let players lose money too quickly, leading to addiction and social, mental and monetary issues.

But bookmakers have actually 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 desired the modifications to come into result 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 modification to fixed-odds stakes would enter force next October at the exact 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 two modifications would imply the government would not be hit by a fall in tax revenue.

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

Grammar 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 meaning election

She had her first kid in 2016 and is believed to have actually 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 decision" and stated Culture Secretary Jeremy Wright "need to be completely ashamed" of prioritising "corporate interests over victims, revenues over public health and greed over great".

MPs from all sides of the House participated in his criticism. Former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith stated it needs to be gone over as part of the Finance Bill later on this month.

Week ahead in Parliament: The Finance Bill

He informed the BBC: "There are a lot of people 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 market will make about ₤ 1bn as a result of this hold-up. That's wrong."

Labour has informed the BBC that they will put down a modification to the Finance Bill to try and generate the changes next April.
bet9ja.com