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 optimal stakes for fixed-odds wagering makers.

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

Ms Crouch said pushing back the date was "unjustifiable" and it could cost the lives of issue gamblers.

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

Prime Minister Theresa May stated she was disappointed Ms Crouch had resigned however there had actually been "no delay in bringing forward this essential procedure".

High stakes for fixed-odds sports betting devices

' I lost ₤ 250,000 on wagering devices'

sports betting maker stakes to be cut to ₤ 2

The government has actually rejected Labour declares 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 suggested the cut had actually been intended to be introduced in April 2020.

But in her resignation letter, Ms Crouch said: "Unfortunately, implementation of these modifications are now being postponed 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 reduce stakes and its application, over ₤ 1.6 bn will be lost on these machines.

"In addition, 2 individuals 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 included: "It is a reality of federal government that ministers must stick to cumulative duty and can not disagree with policy, let alone when it is policy made versus 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 bold" 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 principles".

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, individuals can bet up to ₤ 100 every 20 seconds on electronic casino games such as roulette. Anti-gambling advocates state the makers let players lose cash too rapidly, resulting in addiction and social, psychological and financial problems.

But bookmakers have warned the cut in stakes could lead to thousands of outlets closing.

In her reaction to Ms Crouch, the PM said the government had listened to those who desired the changes to come into effect sooner than April 2020 and "had actually agreed that the changes ought to remain 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 same time as modifications to responsibility charged on gambling companies based abroad however operating in the UK.

The government says co-ordinating the date of the two modifications would mean 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, considering 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 competent FA coach

Grammar school educated 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, consisting of Michael Howard and David Davis before meaning election

She had her very first kid in 2016 and is believed 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 market".

He praised Ms Crouch's "courageous and principled choice" and said Culture Secretary Jeremy Wright "must be completely embarrassed" of prioritising "corporate interests over victims, earnings 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 should be discussed as part of the Finance Bill later this month.

Week ahead in Parliament: The Finance Bill

He told the BBC: "There are a lot of individuals 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 gaming industry will make about ₤ 1bn as an outcome of this delay. That's wrong."

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