sports betting Minister Tracey Crouch resigns over 'hold-up' 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 devices.

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

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

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

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

High stakes for fixed-odds wagering makers

' I lost ₤ 250,000 on wagering machines'

Betting device stakes to be cut to ₤ 2

The federal government has actually denied Labour declares that MPs had actually been led to believe the cut would enter 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, application of these changes are now being delayed up 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 decrease stakes and its execution, over ₤ 1.6 bn will be lost on these machines.

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

She added: "It is a truth of government that ministers must follow cumulative obligation and can not disagree with policy, let alone when it is policy made against your desires associating with 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" 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 campaign however for sticking up for her principles".

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

Currently, individuals can bet approximately ₤ 100 every 20 seconds on electronic gambling establishment games such as live roulette. Anti-gambling advocates state the devices let players lose money too quickly, resulting in dependency and social, psychological and monetary problems.

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

In her reaction to Ms Crouch, the PM stated the government had listened to those who wanted the modifications to come into result quicker than April 2020 and "had agreed that the modifications need to remain in place within the year - by October 2019".

In his Budget on Monday, the chancellor stated the change to fixed-odds stakes would enter force next October at the very same time as modifications to task charged on gaming companies based abroad however running in the UK.

The federal government states co-ordinating the date of the 2 changes would imply the federal government would not be hit by a fall in tax profits.

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

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 different Tory MPs, consisting of Michael Howard and David Davis before meaning election

She had her first child 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 sports betting market".

He applauded Ms Crouch's "courageous and principled choice" and stated Culture Secretary Jeremy Wright "ought to be completely embarrassed" of prioritising "corporate interests over victims, earnings over public health and greed over excellent".

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 informed the BBC: "There are a lot of individuals whose lives have been damaged by this dependency ... We need to do this extremely quickly, as quickly as we can and in the meantime, the gaming market will make about ₤ 1bn as a result of this hold-up. That's wrong."

Labour has informed the BBC that they will put down a modification to the Finance Bill to try and generate the modifications next April.