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

1 November 2018

sports betting minister Tracey Crouch has resigned over "hold-ups" to a crackdown on maximum stakes for fixed-odds sports betting 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 pushing back the date was "unjustifiable" and it might cost the lives of issue gamblers.

She tweeted: "Politicians reoccur but concepts remain with us permanently."

Prime Minister Theresa May stated she was dissatisfied Ms Crouch had actually resigned but there had actually been "no delay in advancing this important procedure".

High stakes for fixed-odds sports betting machines

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

Betting device stakes to be cut to ₤ 2

The federal government has actually denied Labour declares 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 been meant to be presented in April 2020.

But in her resignation letter, Ms Crouch stated: "Unfortunately, application of these changes are now being delayed 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 announcement to minimize stakes and its implementation, over ₤ 1.6 bn will be lost on these makers.

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

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

'God bless'

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

Former foreign secretary Boris Johnson tweeted, external that she "is worthy of big credit not simply for her campaign but for sticking up for her concepts".

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

Currently, people can wager approximately ₤ 100 every 20 seconds on electronic casino games such as live roulette. Anti-gambling campaigners state the makers let gamers lose cash too quickly, resulting in addiction and social, mental and financial issues.

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

In her response to Ms Crouch, the PM stated the federal government had actually listened to those who wanted the changes to come into result faster than April 2020 and "had concurred that the modifications must be 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 exact same time as changes to task charged on sports betting firms based abroad however running in the UK.

The government states co-ordinating the date of the two modifications would suggest the federal 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 understood for her opposition to fox hunting and her love of football - she is a certified 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 worked for different Tory MPs, including Michael Howard and David Davis before representing election

She had her first kid in 2016 and is believed to have actually been the 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 sports betting market".

He praised Ms Crouch's "courageous and principled decision" and said Culture Secretary Jeremy Wright "should be completely embarrassed" of prioritising "business interests over victims, profits over public health and greed over good".

MPs from all sides of your home 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 lots of people whose lives have been damaged by this addiction ... We need to do this extremely quickly, as quickly as we can and in the meantime, the gambling industry will make about ₤ 1bn as a result of this delay. That's wrong."

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