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

1 November 2018

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

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 stated pushing back the date was "unjustifiable" and it might cost the lives of problem bettors.

She tweeted: "Politicians come and go but concepts stick with us permanently."

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

High stakes for fixed-odds sports betting makers

' I lost ₤ 250,000 on wagering makers'

sports betting device stakes to be cut to ₤ 2

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

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

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End of twitter post by Tracey Crouch

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

"In addition, 2 people will unfortunately 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 need to abide by collective obligation and can not disagree with policy, let alone when it is policy made versus 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" adding: "May God bless her dedication to doing right."

Former foreign secretary Boris Johnson tweeted, external that she "is worthy of big credit not just for her campaign however for sticking up for her principles".

Fixed-odds sports betting terminals generate ₤ 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, individuals can wager as much as ₤ 100 every 20 seconds on electronic casino games such as live roulette. Anti-gambling advocates state the machines let players lose money too quickly, leading to dependency and social, mental and financial problems.

But bookmakers have actually warned the cut in stakes might lead to thousands of outlets closing.

In her action to Ms Crouch, the PM stated the federal government had listened to those who desired the modifications to come into effect earlier than April 2020 and "had actually concurred that the modifications must be in location within the year - by October 2019".

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

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

Who is Tracey Crouch?

The 43-year-old MP has represented Chatham and Aylesford, in Kent, given 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 qualified FA coach

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 numerous Tory MPs, consisting of Michael Howard and David Davis before representing election

She had her very 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 implicated the federal government of "capitulating to the gambling market".

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

MPs from all sides of the House participated his criticism. Former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith said it must 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 lots of individuals whose lives have actually been damaged by this dependency ... We need to do this really quickly, as quickly as we can and in the meantime, the gaming market will make about ₤ 1bn as an outcome of this delay. That's not right."

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.