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 optimal 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 said pressing back the date was "unjustifiable" and it might cost the lives of issue bettors.

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

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 wagering machines

' I lost ₤ 250,000 on wagering devices'

sports betting maker stakes to be cut to ₤ 2

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

But in her resignation letter, Ms Crouch said: "Unfortunately, implementation of these modifications are now being postponed 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 announcement to decrease stakes and its application, over ₤ 1.6 bn will be lost on these machines.

"In addition, two 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 hold-up is unjustifiable."

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

Former foreign secretary Boris Johnson tweeted, external that she "is worthy of substantial credit not simply for her campaign but for sticking up for her principles".

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

Currently, people can bet as much as ₤ 100 every 20 seconds on electronic gambling establishment games such as roulette. Anti-gambling campaigners state the makers let players lose cash too quickly, leading to addiction and social, mental and financial problems.

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

In her reaction to Ms Crouch, the PM said the government had listened to those who wanted the modifications to come into result quicker than April 2020 and "had concurred that the changes need to be in location within the year - by October 2019".

In his Budget on Monday, the chancellor stated the modification to fixed-odds stakes would enter force next October at the very same time as modifications to responsibility charged on gambling companies based abroad however running in the UK.

The government states co-ordinating the date of the two modifications would indicate the government would not be hit by a fall in tax profits.

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 understood 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 different Tory MPs, consisting of Michael Howard and David Davis before standing for election

She had her 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 market".

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

MPs from all sides of your house participated his criticism. Former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith said it needs 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 individuals whose lives have been harmed by this addiction ... We require to do this extremely rapidly, as rapidly as we can and in the meantime, the sports betting market will make about ₤ 1bn as an outcome of this hold-up. That's wrong."

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