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

1 November 2018

sports betting minister Tracey Crouch has resigned over "delays" to a crackdown on maximum stakes for fixed-odds wagering makers.

Chancellor Philip Hammond stated 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 gamblers.

She tweeted: "Politicians reoccur however principles stick with us permanently."

Prime Minister Theresa May stated she was disappointed Ms Crouch had actually resigned but there had actually been "no hold-up in bringing forward this crucial measure".

High stakes for fixed-odds sports betting makers

' I lost ₤ 250,000 on wagering machines'

sports betting machine stakes to be cut to ₤ 2

The federal government has actually rejected Labour claims that MPs had actually 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 planned to be introduced in April 2020.

But in her resignation letter, Ms Crouch stated: "Unfortunately, implementation of these modifications 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 devices.

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

She included: "It is a truth of government that ministers must follow cumulative responsibility and can not disagree with policy, let alone when it is policy made versus your dreams relating to 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" adding: "May God bless her dedication to doing right."

Former foreign secretary Boris Johnson tweeted, external that she "should have huge credit not simply for her campaign but for sticking up for her concepts".

Fixed-odds wagering terminals create ₤ 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 gambling establishment games such as live roulette. Anti-gambling campaigners say the makers let gamers lose money too quickly, causing addiction and social, mental and financial problems.

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

In her response to Ms Crouch, the PM stated the federal government had listened to those who wanted the modifications to come into result sooner than April 2020 and "had actually agreed that the modifications need to be in place 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 changes to duty charged on gaming firms based abroad but running in the UK.

The government says co-ordinating the date of the 2 changes would mean the federal government would not be struck by a fall in tax earnings.

Who is Tracey Crouch?

The 43-year-old MP has actually 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 searching and her love of football - she is a qualified 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 numerous Tory MPs, including Michael Howard and David Davis before meaning election

She had her 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 sports betting industry".

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

MPs from all sides of your house participated his criticism. Former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith stated it must 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 plenty of people 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 sports betting market 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 a modification to the Finance Bill to attempt and bring in the modifications next April.