sports betting Minister Tracey Crouch resigns over 'delay' to sports betting crackdown

1 November 2018

sports betting minister Tracey Crouch has resigned over "hold-ups" to a crackdown on maximum stakes for fixed-odds sports betting devices.

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 might cost the lives of issue gamblers.

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

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

High stakes for fixed-odds wagering machines

' I lost ₤ 250,000 on wagering makers'

sports betting machine stakes to be cut to ₤ 2

The government has 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 recommended the cut had been intended to be presented in April 2020.

But in her resignation letter, Ms Crouch said: "Unfortunately, execution of these modifications are now being delayed until October 2019 due to dedications made by others to those with registered interests.

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End of twitter post by Tracey Crouch

"From the time of the statement to lower 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, because of that as much as any other, I think this delay is unjustifiable."

She included: "It is a truth of government that ministers should 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 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 big credit not simply for her project however for sticking up for her concepts".

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

Currently, individuals can wager approximately ₤ 100 every 20 seconds on electronic casino video games such as live roulette. Anti-gambling campaigners state the machines let gamers lose money too quickly, leading to dependency and social, psychological and monetary problems.

But bookies have warned 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 modifications to come into result faster than April 2020 and "had concurred that the changes should remain in place within the year - by October 2019".

In his Budget on Monday, the chancellor said the modification to fixed-odds stakes would enter into force next October at the exact same time as changes to task charged on gaming companies based abroad however operating in the UK.

The federal government states co-ordinating the date of the 2 modifications would imply 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, since 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

Grade 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, including Michael Howard and David Davis before representing election

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

He applauded Ms Crouch's "brave and principled choice" and said Culture Secretary Jeremy Wright "ought to be thoroughly ashamed" of prioritising "business interests over victims, profits over public health and greed over good".

MPs from all sides of your house joined in his criticism. Former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith stated it ought to be talked about as part of the Finance Bill later on this month.

Week ahead in Parliament: The Finance Bill

He informed the BBC: "There are plenty of individuals whose lives have actually been harmed by this addiction ... We require to do this extremely quickly, as rapidly as we can and in the meantime, the gaming industry will make about ₤ 1bn as a result of this delay. That's wrong."

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