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 maximum stakes for fixed-odds wagering devices.

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 bettors.

She tweeted: "Politicians come and go but concepts stay with us forever."

Prime Minister Theresa May stated she was disappointed Ms Crouch had resigned but there had actually been "no hold-up in advancing this essential procedure".

High stakes for fixed-odds sports betting makers

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

sports betting machine stakes to be cut to ₤ 2

The 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 actually been planned to be presented in April 2020.

But in her resignation letter, Ms Crouch stated: "Unfortunately, implementation of these changes are now being delayed 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 application, over ₤ 1.6 bn will be lost on these machines.

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

She added: "It is a reality of government that ministers must abide by cumulative duty and can not disagree with policy, not to mention when it is policy made against your wishes relating to 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 bold" including: "May God bless her dedication to doing right."

Former foreign secretary Boris Johnson tweeted, external that she "deserves substantial credit not just for her project but for sticking up for her concepts".

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

Currently, people can bet as much as ₤ 100 every 20 seconds on electronic gambling establishment games such as roulette. Anti-gambling campaigners say the makers let gamers lose money too rapidly, causing dependency and social, mental and financial issues.

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

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

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

Who is Tracey Crouch?

The 43-year-old MP has 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 searching and her love of football - she is a competent 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 worked for numerous Tory MPs, including Michael Howard and David Davis before representing election

She had her first kid in 2016 and is believed to have been the 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 industry".

He praised Ms Crouch's "bold and principled decision" and stated Culture Secretary Jeremy Wright "ought to be completely embarrassed" of prioritising "corporate interests over victims, revenues over public health and greed over good".

MPs from all sides of your home took part his criticism. Former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith stated it should be talked about as part of the Finance Bill later this month.

Week ahead in Parliament: The Finance Bill

He told the BBC: "There are a lot of individuals whose lives have actually been damaged by this addiction ... We require to do this extremely rapidly, as quickly as we can and in the meantime, the sports betting industry will make about ₤ 1bn as an outcome of this hold-up. That's not right."

Labour has informed the BBC that they will put down an amendment to the Finance Bill to attempt and bring in the modifications next April.