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 machines.

Chancellor Philip Hammond stated in Monday's Budget that the cut in stakes from ₤ 100 to ₤ 2 would enter 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 reoccur but principles stay with us permanently."

Prime Minister Theresa May said she was disappointed Ms Crouch had actually resigned but there had been "no delay in advancing this crucial procedure".

High stakes for fixed-odds sports betting makers

' I lost ₤ 250,000 on wagering machines'

sports betting maker stakes to be cut to ₤ 2

The federal government has rejected 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 suggested the cut had actually been planned to be introduced in April 2020.

But in her resignation letter, Ms Crouch said: "Unfortunately, application 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 announcement to minimize stakes and its implementation, over ₤ 1.6 bn will be lost on these machines.

"In addition, two people will unfortunately take their lives every day due to gambling-related problems and, because of that as much as any other, I think this hold-up is unjustifiable."

She added: "It is a fact of federal government that ministers should follow collective duty 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 praising her on social networks, 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 huge credit not simply for her project but for sticking up for her principles".

Fixed-odds sports betting 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 federal government.

Currently, individuals can bet up to ₤ 100 every 20 seconds on electronic gambling establishment video games such as live roulette. Anti-gambling advocates say the devices let players lose money too rapidly, causing dependency and social, psychological and financial issues.

But bookies have alerted the cut in stakes could cause thousands of outlets closing.

In her reaction to Ms Crouch, the PM stated the federal government had actually listened to those who desired the modifications to come into effect sooner 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 stated the modification to fixed-odds stakes would enter into force next October at the exact same time as modifications to task charged on sports betting firms based abroad however operating in the UK.

The government says co-ordinating the date of the two changes would mean the government would not be struck by a fall in tax revenue.

Who is Tracey Crouch?

The 43-year-old MP has 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 searching 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 various Tory MPs, including Michael Howard and David Davis before meaning election

She had her first kid in 2016 and is thought to have 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 industry".

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

MPs from all sides of your house participated in his criticism. Former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith stated it must be discussed 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 harmed by this addiction ... We need to do this really quickly, as rapidly as we can and in the meantime, the sports betting industry will make about ₤ 1bn as an outcome of this hold-up. That's wrong."

Labour has actually told the BBC that they will put down an amendment to the Finance Bill to try and bring in the changes next April.