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

1 November 2018

sports betting minister Tracey Crouch has actually resigned over "hold-ups" to a crackdown on optimal stakes for fixed-odds sports betting 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 said pushing back the date was "unjustifiable" and it could cost the lives of problem bettors.

She tweeted: "Politicians come and go but principles remain with us permanently."

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

High stakes for fixed-odds sports betting devices

' I lost ₤ 250,000 on wagering machines'

sports betting machine stakes to be cut to ₤ 2

The federal government has rejected Labour declares that MPs had actually been led to think the cut would enter force at the start of the next tax year, in April 2019. They suggested the cut had been meant to be introduced in April 2020.

But in her resignation letter, Ms Crouch stated: "Unfortunately, implementation of these modifications are now being delayed 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 lower stakes and its implementation, over ₤ 1.6 bn will be lost on these devices.

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

She included: "It is a reality of federal government that ministers must comply with cumulative duty and can not disagree with policy, not to mention when it is policy made against your dreams connecting to your own portfolio."

'God bless'

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

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

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

Currently, people can bet approximately ₤ 100 every 20 seconds on electronic casino games such as live roulette. Anti-gambling advocates say the machines let gamers lose money too quickly, causing addiction and social, psychological and monetary problems.

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

In her reaction to Ms Crouch, the PM stated the government had actually listened to those who desired the changes to come into impact sooner than April 2020 and "had agreed that the modifications ought 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 exact same time as modifications to responsibility charged on gaming firms based abroad but operating in the UK.

The federal government states co-ordinating the date of the two modifications would indicate the federal government would not be struck by a fall in tax revenue.

Who is Tracey Crouch?

The 43-year-old MP has actually represented Chatham and Aylesford, in Kent, considering that 2010

She was promoted to the front bench as sports betting minister in 2015

She is understood for her opposition to fox searching and her love of football - she is a competent FA coach

Grammar 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 very first kid in 2016 and is thought to have actually 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 industry".

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

MPs from all sides of the House participated his criticism. Former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith said it must be discussed as part of the Finance Bill later on this month.

Week ahead in Parliament: The Finance Bill

He told the BBC: "There are a lot of people whose lives have been harmed by this dependency ... We need to do this extremely quickly, as rapidly as we can and in the meantime, the gambling industry will make about ₤ 1bn as a result of this delay. That's not ideal."

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