sports betting Minister Tracey Crouch resigns over 'hold-up' to wagering crackdown

1 November 2018

sports betting minister Tracey Crouch has resigned over "delays" to a crackdown on optimal 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 pushing back the date was "unjustifiable" and it could cost the lives of issue bettors.

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

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

High stakes for fixed-odds sports betting devices

' I lost ₤ 250,000 on wagering makers'

sports betting machine stakes to be cut to ₤ 2

The federal government has rejected Labour declares that MPs had 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 been intended to be introduced in April 2020.

But in her resignation letter, Ms Crouch said: "Unfortunately, application of these changes are now being delayed up until 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 reduce stakes and its implementation, over ₤ 1.6 bn will be lost on these devices.

"In addition, 2 people will tragically take their lives every day due to gambling-related issues and, because of that as much as any other, I believe this hold-up is unjustifiable."

She included: "It is a truth of federal government that ministers need to abide by cumulative duty and can not disagree with policy, let alone when it is policy made versus your dreams 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 courageous" adding: "May God bless her dedication to doing right."

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

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

Currently, individuals can bet approximately ₤ 100 every 20 seconds on electronic gambling establishment video games such as live roulette. Anti-gambling advocates state the devices let players lose cash too quickly, resulting in addiction and social, mental and financial issues.

But bookmakers have warned the cut in stakes could cause countless outlets closing.

In her action to Ms Crouch, the PM said the federal government had actually listened to those who desired the modifications to come into impact quicker than April 2020 and "had actually concurred that the changes should be in location 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 same time as modifications to responsibility charged on sports betting firms based abroad however running in the UK.

The federal government says co-ordinating the date of the two modifications would mean the government would not be hit by a fall in tax income.

Who is Tracey Crouch?

The 43-year-old MP has actually represented Chatham and Aylesford, in Kent, since 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

Grammar 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 standing for election

She had her very first child 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 accused the government of "capitulating to the sports betting industry".

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

MPs from all sides of your home participated his criticism. Former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith stated it should be discussed 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 individuals whose lives have actually been harmed by this addiction ... We require to do this extremely rapidly, as quickly as we can and in the meantime, the gambling market will make about ₤ 1bn as an outcome of this delay. That's wrong."

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