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

1 November 2018

sports betting minister Tracey Crouch has actually resigned over "delays" 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 stated pushing back the date was "unjustifiable" and it could cost the lives of issue bettors.

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

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

High stakes for fixed-odds sports betting machines

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

sports betting device stakes to be cut to ₤ 2

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

But in her resignation letter, Ms Crouch stated: "Unfortunately, implementation of these changes are now being postponed until October 2019 due to commitments 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 reduce stakes and its application, over ₤ 1.6 bn will be lost on these machines.

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

She added: "It is a fact of government that ministers need to adhere to collective responsibility and can not disagree with policy, let alone when it is policy made against your dreams associating with your own portfolio."

'God bless'

Among those applauding her on social networks, the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby tweeted, external that she was "principled and bold" adding: "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 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, people can bet up to ₤ 100 every 20 seconds on electronic casino video games such as live roulette. Anti-gambling advocates say the makers let players lose money too quickly, causing dependency and social, psychological and financial problems.

But bookies have actually warned the cut in stakes could lead to countless outlets closing.

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

In his Budget on Monday, the chancellor stated the change to fixed-odds stakes would enter into force next October at the exact same time as modifications to responsibility charged on sports betting firms based abroad but running in the UK.

The government states co-ordinating the date of the two changes would indicate 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, 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 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 different Tory MPs, including Michael Howard and David Davis before representing 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 federal government of "capitulating to the gambling industry".

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

MPs from all sides of your home took part his criticism. Former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith stated it needs to 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 dependency ... We require to do this extremely rapidly, as quickly as we can and in the meantime, the gaming industry will make about ₤ 1bn as a result of this delay. That's wrong."

Labour has actually told the BBC that they will put down a change to the Finance Bill to try and bring in the modifications next April.