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 devices.

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 stated pushing back the date was "unjustifiable" and it might cost the lives of problem bettors.

She tweeted: "Politicians come and go however concepts stick with us permanently."

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

High stakes for fixed-odds sports betting machines

' I lost ₤ 250,000 on wagering devices'

sports betting machine stakes to be cut to ₤ 2

The federal government has actually rejected Labour declares that MPs had 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 modifications are now being delayed till 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 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 issues and, for that reason as much as any other, I think this delay is unjustifiable."

She included: "It is a fact of government that ministers must adhere to collective responsibility and can not disagree with policy, let alone when it is policy made versus your desires relating to your own portfolio."

'God bless'

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

Former foreign secretary Boris Johnson tweeted, external that she "is worthy of substantial credit not simply for her project however for sticking up for her concepts".

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

Currently, people can wager up to ₤ 100 every 20 seconds on electronic gambling establishment games such as roulette. Anti-gambling advocates say the machines let players lose money too rapidly, leading to addiction and social, psychological and financial issues.

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

In her action to Ms Crouch, the PM said the federal government had listened to those who wanted the changes to come into result sooner than April 2020 and "had agreed that the modifications must be in location within the year - by October 2019".

In his Budget on Monday, the chancellor stated the modification to fixed-odds stakes would come into force next October at the very same time as modifications to duty charged on gaming firms based abroad however running in the UK.

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

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 qualified FA coach

Grade 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 various Tory MPs, consisting of Michael Howard and David Davis before representing election

She had her very first kid in 2016 and is believed 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 "brave and principled choice" and stated Culture Secretary Jeremy Wright "must be thoroughly ashamed" of prioritising "business interests over victims, earnings 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 said it should be talked about 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 people whose lives have been damaged by this dependency ... We need to do this really quickly, as rapidly as we can and in the meantime, the gaming market will make about ₤ 1bn as a result of this delay. That's wrong."

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