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

1 November 2018

sports betting minister Tracey Crouch has actually resigned over "delays" to a crackdown on optimal stakes for fixed-odds sports betting devices.

Chancellor Philip Hammond stated in Monday's Budget that the cut in stakes from ₤ 100 to ₤ 2 would enter into 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 principles stick with us permanently."

Prime Minister Theresa May said she was disappointed Ms Crouch had resigned however there had been "no delay in advancing this important procedure".

High stakes for fixed-odds sports betting devices

' I lost ₤ 250,000 on wagering devices'

Betting device stakes to be cut to ₤ 2

The federal government has actually 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 stated: "Unfortunately, execution 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 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 problems and, for that factor as much as any other, I believe this hold-up is unjustifiable."

She added: "It is a truth of federal government that ministers need to comply with collective 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 praising her on social networks, the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby tweeted, external that she was "principled and bold" including: "May God bless her dedication to doing right."

Former foreign secretary Boris Johnson tweeted, external that she "deserves big credit not just for her campaign however for sticking up for her principles".

Fixed-odds wagering terminals create ₤ 1.8 bn in earnings a year for the wagering 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 games such as live roulette. Anti-gambling campaigners state the devices let players lose cash too rapidly, causing dependency and social, mental and financial problems.

But bookmakers have alerted the cut in stakes could lead to thousands of outlets closing.

In her action to Ms Crouch, the PM said the federal government had actually listened to those who wanted the changes to come into effect sooner than April 2020 and "had concurred that the changes must be in location within the year - by October 2019".

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

The government states co-ordinating the date of the two modifications would imply the federal government would not be struck by a fall in tax earnings.

Who is Tracey Crouch?

The 43-year-old MP has actually 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 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 worked for different Tory MPs, including Michael Howard and David Davis before meaning election

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

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

MPs from all sides of your home participated his criticism. Former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith stated it must be discussed as part of the Finance Bill later this month.

Week ahead in Parliament: The Finance Bill

He informed the BBC: "There are lots of people whose lives have been harmed by this dependency ... We need to do this extremely rapidly, as rapidly as we can and in the meantime, the gambling industry will make about ₤ 1bn as an outcome of this hold-up. That's wrong."

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