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 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 gamblers.

She tweeted: "Politicians come and go but concepts stay with us forever."

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

High stakes for fixed-odds wagering devices

' I lost ₤ 250,000 on sports betting makers'

sports betting machine stakes to be cut to ₤ 2

The government has rejected Labour declares that MPs had actually been led to believe the cut would enter into force at the start of the next tax year, in April 2019. They suggested the cut had actually been planned to be presented in April 2020.

But in her resignation letter, Ms Crouch stated: "Unfortunately, execution of these modifications are now being postponed till October 2019 due to commitments made by others to those with registered 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 makers.

"In addition, 2 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 delay is unjustifiable."

She added: "It is a fact of federal government that ministers need to comply with collective duty and can not disagree with policy, not to mention when it is policy made versus your wishes associating with 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" adding: "May God bless her dedication to doing right."

Former foreign secretary Boris Johnson tweeted, external that she "deserves huge credit not just for her project however for sticking up for her concepts".

Fixed-odds sports betting terminals produce ₤ 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, people can bet approximately ₤ 100 every 20 seconds on electronic casino video games such as roulette. Anti-gambling advocates say the makers let gamers lose money too rapidly, causing addiction and social, psychological and financial issues.

But bookies have cautioned the cut in stakes might result in thousands of outlets closing.

In her response to Ms Crouch, the PM stated the government had listened to those who desired the modifications to come into impact 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 stated the modification to fixed-odds stakes would enter into force next October at the same time as modifications to task charged on gaming companies based abroad however operating in the UK.

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

Who is Tracey Crouch?

The 43-year-old MP has actually represented Chatham and Aylesford, in Kent, considering that 2010

She was promoted to the front bench as sports betting minister in 2015

She is understood for her opposition to fox hunting and her love of football - she is a certified 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 actually worked for numerous Tory MPs, consisting of Michael Howard and David Davis before representing election

She had her very first child 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 implicated the federal government of "capitulating to the gambling market".

He applauded Ms Crouch's "brave and principled decision" and said Culture Secretary Jeremy Wright "should be thoroughly ashamed" of prioritising "business interests over victims, revenues over public health and greed over excellent".

MPs from all sides of your house took part his criticism. Former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith stated it ought to 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 plenty of people whose lives have been damaged by this addiction ... We need to do this extremely rapidly, as quickly 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 told the BBC that they will put down a modification to the Finance Bill to try and generate the changes next April.