sports betting Minister Tracey Crouch resigns over 'delay' to sports betting crackdown

1 November 2018

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

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 pushing back the date was "unjustifiable" and it could cost the lives of problem gamblers.

She tweeted: "Politicians come and go however principles stick with us forever."

Prime Minister Theresa May stated she was dissatisfied Ms Crouch had actually resigned but there had actually been "no delay in bringing forward this essential measure".

High stakes for fixed-odds wagering machines

' I lost ₤ 250,000 on wagering devices'

sports betting maker stakes to be cut to ₤ 2

The government has actually rejected 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, execution of these changes are now being delayed up until October 2019 due to commitments made by others to those with registered interests.

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End of twitter post by Tracey Crouch

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

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

She added: "It is a fact of federal government that ministers should stick to collective responsibility and can not disagree with policy, not to mention when it is policy made against your wishes associating with your own portfolio."

'God bless'

Among those applauding her on social media, the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby tweeted, external that she was "principled and courageous" including: "May God bless her dedication to doing right."

Former foreign secretary Boris Johnson tweeted, external that she "should have big credit not simply for her project however for sticking up for her principles".

Fixed-odds sports betting terminals generate ₤ 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, people can wager as much as ₤ 100 every 20 seconds on electronic gambling establishment video games such as roulette. Anti-gambling campaigners state the makers let gamers lose cash too rapidly, leading to addiction and social, mental and monetary issues.

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

In her action to Ms Crouch, the PM stated the federal government had listened to those who desired the changes to come into result faster than April 2020 and "had concurred that the modifications need to 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 very same time as modifications to duty charged on gaming companies based abroad however running in the UK.

The government says co-ordinating the date of the 2 modifications would imply the federal government would not be struck by a fall in tax earnings.

Who is Tracey Crouch?

The 43-year-old MP has actually represented Chatham and Aylesford, in Kent, since 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

Grammar 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, consisting of Michael Howard and David Davis before meaning election

She had her very 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 accused the government of "capitulating to the gambling industry".

He applauded Ms Crouch's "courageous and principled choice" and said Culture Secretary Jeremy Wright "need to be thoroughly ashamed" of "corporate interests over victims, revenues over public health and greed over excellent".

MPs from all sides of your house joined in his criticism. Former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith stated it ought 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 been damaged by this dependency ... We need to do this really quickly, as rapidly 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 a change to the Finance Bill to attempt and bring in the modifications next April.