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 machines.

Chancellor Philip Hammond said in Monday's Budget that the cut in stakes from ₤ 100 to ₤ 2 would enter into force in October 2019.

Ms Crouch stated pressing back the date was "unjustifiable" and it could cost the lives of issue bettors.

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

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

High stakes for fixed-odds sports betting machines

' I lost ₤ 250,000 on wagering makers'

sports betting device stakes to be cut to ₤ 2

The federal government has denied Labour declares that MPs had 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 been intended to be introduced in April 2020.

But in her resignation letter, Ms Crouch stated: "Unfortunately, implementation of these modifications are now being postponed up until October 2019 due to dedications made by others to those with registered interests.

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End of twitter post by Tracey Crouch

"From the time of the statement to lower stakes and its execution, over ₤ 1.6 bn will be lost on these devices.

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

She added: "It is a reality of government that ministers should abide by collective obligation and can not disagree with policy, let alone when it is policy made against your dreams relating to 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 brave" including: "May God bless her dedication to doing right."

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

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

Currently, individuals can wager as much as ₤ 100 every 20 seconds on electronic gambling establishment video games such as live roulette. Anti-gambling advocates say the machines let gamers lose money too rapidly, resulting in dependency and social, psychological and monetary problems.

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

In her action to Ms Crouch, the PM stated the government had actually listened to those who desired the changes to come into effect earlier than April 2020 and "had actually concurred that the modifications should remain in location within the year - by October 2019".

In his Budget on Monday, the chancellor said 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 companies based abroad but running in the UK.

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

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 searching 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 actually worked for various Tory MPs, consisting of Michael Howard and David Davis before standing for election

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

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

MPs from all sides of your home signed up with in his criticism. Former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith stated it needs to be gone over 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 individuals whose lives have actually been damaged by this dependency ... We need to do this extremely rapidly, as rapidly as we can and in the meantime, the gambling market will make about ₤ 1bn as an outcome of this hold-up. That's wrong."

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