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

1 November 2018

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

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

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

She tweeted: "Politicians reoccur but concepts stick with us permanently."

Prime Minister Theresa May said she was dissatisfied Ms Crouch had actually resigned but there had actually been "no delay in advancing this important step".

High stakes for fixed-odds sports betting machines

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

sports betting device stakes to be cut to ₤ 2

The government has rejected Labour claims that MPs had 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, implementation of these changes are now being postponed till 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 makers.

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

She included: "It is a truth of federal government that ministers need to comply with cumulative responsibility and can not disagree with policy, let alone when it is policy made versus your desires 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 bold" including: "May God bless her commitment to doing right."

Former foreign secretary Boris Johnson tweeted, external that she "deserves substantial credit not simply for her project however for sticking up for her principles".

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

Currently, people can wager as much as ₤ 100 every 20 seconds on electronic casino games such as live roulette. Anti-gambling advocates state the makers let players lose money too quickly, resulting in dependency and social, psychological and monetary problems.

But bookmakers have actually cautioned the cut in stakes might result in countless outlets closing.

In her action to Ms Crouch, the PM stated the federal government had listened to those who desired the changes to come into impact sooner than April 2020 and "had actually concurred that the changes ought to remain in location within the year - by October 2019".

In his Budget on Monday, the chancellor said the change to fixed-odds stakes would come into force next October at the same time as changes to task charged on sports betting companies based abroad however running in the UK.

The government states co-ordinating the date of the 2 changes would suggest the federal government would not be struck 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 certified 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 various Tory MPs, consisting of Michael Howard and David Davis before representing election

She had her first kid in 2016 and is thought 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 market".

He praised Ms Crouch's "bold and principled decision" and said Culture Secretary Jeremy Wright "ought to be thoroughly embarrassed" of prioritising "corporate interests over victims, revenues over public health and greed over good".

MPs from all sides of your house participated his criticism. Former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith stated it needs to be gone over as part of the Finance Bill later on this month.

Week ahead in Parliament: The Finance Bill

He informed the BBC: "There are a lot of people whose lives have been harmed by this dependency ... We require to do this very rapidly, as rapidly as we can and in the meantime, the gambling market will make about ₤ 1bn as an outcome of this delay. That's not ideal."

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