bet9ja.com
sports betting Minister Tracey Crouch resigns over 'delay' to wagering 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 wagering makers.

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 pressing back the date was "unjustifiable" and it might cost the lives of issue gamblers.

She tweeted: "Politicians reoccur however concepts stick with us forever."

Prime Minister Theresa May said she was dissatisfied Ms Crouch had actually resigned but there had been "no delay in advancing this important step".
bet9ja.com
High stakes for fixed-odds wagering devices

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

sports betting device stakes to be cut to ₤ 2

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

But in her letter, Ms Crouch said: "Unfortunately, implementation of these changes are now being delayed till October 2019 due to dedications made by others to those with registered interests.

This Twitter post can not be displayed in your browser. Please make it possible for Javascript or try a different browser.View original material on Twitter The BBC is not responsible 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 filled, as they might be using cookies and other innovations. You may wish to read Twitter's cookie policy, external and personal privacy policy, external before accepting. To see this content select 'accept and continue'.

Accept and continue

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

End of twitter post by Tracey Crouch

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

"In addition, 2 people will unfortunately take their lives every day due to gambling-related issues and, because of that as much as any other, I believe this hold-up is unjustifiable."

She included: "It is a reality of government that ministers should comply with cumulative obligation and can not disagree with policy, not to mention when it is policy made versus your desires relating to your own portfolio."
bit.ly
'God bless'

Among those praising her on social networks, the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby tweeted, external that she was "principled and brave" 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 campaign however for sticking up for her principles".

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

Currently, individuals can bet approximately ₤ 100 every 20 seconds on electronic casino video games such as live roulette. Anti-gambling campaigners state the devices let gamers lose cash too quickly, resulting in dependency and social, mental and monetary problems.

But bookies have actually alerted the cut in stakes might result in countless outlets closing.

In her response to Ms Crouch, the PM stated the government had actually listened to those who desired the changes to come into effect quicker than April 2020 and "had agreed that the changes should remain in place within the year - by October 2019".

In his Budget on Monday, the chancellor said the change to fixed-odds stakes would come into force next October at the same time as changes to duty charged on gambling firms based abroad however operating in the UK.

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

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 understood for her opposition to fox searching and her love of football - she is a competent FA coach
bet9ja.com
Grade school informed at Folkestone School for Girls, she went on to get a degree in law and politics from Hull University

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

She had her very first kid 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 government of "capitulating to the gambling market".

He applauded Ms Crouch's "bold and principled choice" and stated Culture Secretary Jeremy Wright "should be completely ashamed" of prioritising "business interests over victims, revenues over public health and greed over good".

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

Week ahead in Parliament: The Finance Bill

He told the BBC: "There are a lot of people whose lives have been harmed by this dependency ... We need to do this really rapidly, as quickly as we can and in the meantime, the gambling industry will make about ₤ 1bn as a result of this hold-up. That's wrong."

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