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 makers.

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 stated pushing back the date was "unjustifiable" and it could cost the lives of problem gamblers.

She tweeted: "Politicians come and go but concepts remain with us permanently."

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

High stakes for fixed-odds wagering devices

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

sports betting maker stakes to be cut to ₤ 2

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

But in her resignation letter, Ms Crouch said: "Unfortunately, application of these changes are now being postponed up 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 statement to decrease stakes and its execution, over ₤ 1.6 bn will be lost on these makers.

"In addition, two people will tragically take their lives every day due to gambling-related issues and, for that reason as much as any other, I believe this hold-up is unjustifiable."

She added: "It is a reality of government that ministers need to stick to cumulative responsibility and can not disagree with policy, not to mention when it is policy made against your wishes 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" including: "May God bless her commitment to doing right."

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

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

Currently, individuals can bet as much as ₤ 100 every 20 seconds on electronic casino video games such as roulette. Anti-gambling advocates say the machines let players lose cash too quickly, causing dependency and social, mental and monetary issues.

But bookies have cautioned the cut in stakes might cause countless outlets closing.

In her action to Ms Crouch, the PM said the government had listened to those who wanted the changes to come into effect faster than April 2020 and "had concurred that the modifications ought to remain in location 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 same time as changes to task charged on gambling firms based abroad however operating in the UK.

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

Who is Tracey Crouch?

The 43-year-old MP has represented Chatham and Aylesford, in Kent, because 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 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 actually 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 actually been the first Tory minister to take maternity leave

But in the Commons on Thursday, Labour's deputy leader Tom Watson implicated the government of "capitulating to the sports betting industry".

He praised Ms Crouch's "bold and principled decision" and stated Culture Secretary Jeremy Wright "should be completely embarrassed" of prioritising "corporate interests over victims, earnings over public health and greed over excellent".

MPs from all sides of the House signed up with in his criticism. Former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith said it must 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 individuals whose lives have been damaged by this dependency ... 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 attempt and bring in the modifications next April.