bet9ja.com
sports betting Minister Tracey Crouch resigns over 'hold-up' to sports betting crackdown
bet9ja.com
1 November 2018
bet9ja.com
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 said in Monday's Budget that the cut in stakes from ₤ 100 to ₤ 2 would come into force in October 2019.

Ms Crouch stated pressing back the date was "unjustifiable" and it could cost the lives of issue bettors.

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

Prime Minister Theresa May stated she was dissatisfied Ms Crouch had actually resigned however there had actually been "no hold-up in bringing forward this crucial measure".

High stakes for fixed-odds wagering devices

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

sports betting machine stakes to be cut to ₤ 2

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

But in her resignation letter, Ms Crouch stated: "Unfortunately, implementation of these modifications are now being postponed up until October 2019 due to commitments made by others to those with signed up interests.

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

Skip twitter post by Tracey Crouch

Allow Twitter material?

This post contains material provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is filled, as they may be utilizing cookies and other technologies. You may desire to check out Twitter's cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To see this content select 'accept and continue'.

Accept and continue

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

End of twitter post by Tracey Crouch

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

"In addition, 2 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 delay is unjustifiable."

She included: "It is a reality of government that ministers need to comply with collective obligation and can not disagree with policy, let alone when it is policy made against your desires connecting 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" adding: "May God bless her commitment to doing right."

Former foreign secretary Boris Johnson tweeted, that she "is worthy of substantial credit not simply for her campaign however for sticking up for her concepts".

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

Currently, individuals can bet up to ₤ 100 every 20 seconds on electronic casino games such as roulette. Anti-gambling campaigners state the makers let players lose cash too quickly, causing addiction and social, psychological and monetary issues.

But bookies have actually cautioned the cut in stakes might cause countless outlets closing.

In her response to Ms Crouch, the PM stated the federal government had listened to those who desired the changes to come into effect sooner than April 2020 and "had agreed that the changes ought to be in location within the year - by October 2019".

In his Budget on Monday, the chancellor said the modification to fixed-odds stakes would come into force next October at the same time as changes to duty charged on gaming companies based abroad but running 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 earnings.

Who is Tracey Crouch?

The 43-year-old MP has represented Chatham and Aylesford, in Kent, because 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 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 actually worked for various Tory MPs, including Michael Howard and David Davis before representing election

She had her first kid in 2016 and is believed 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 gambling market".

He praised Ms Crouch's "brave and principled decision" and said Culture Secretary Jeremy Wright "ought to be thoroughly embarrassed" of prioritising "business interests over victims, revenues over public health and greed over excellent".

MPs from all sides of the House took part his criticism. Former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith said it ought to be talked about as part of the Finance Bill later this month.

Week ahead in Parliament: The Finance Bill
bet9ja.com
He informed the BBC: "There are a lot of individuals whose lives have actually been harmed by this addiction ... We need to do this really rapidly, as rapidly as we can and in the meantime, the sports betting industry will make about ₤ 1bn as a result 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 changes next April.
bet9ja.com