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

1 November 2018

sports betting minister Tracey Crouch has actually resigned over "hold-ups" 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 force in October 2019.

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

She tweeted: "Politicians reoccur but principles remain with us forever."

Prime Minister Theresa May stated she was dissatisfied Ms Crouch had resigned but there had been "no delay in bringing forward this important step".

High stakes for fixed-odds wagering makers

' I lost ₤ 250,000 on wagering makers'

sports betting device stakes to be cut to ₤ 2

The government has actually denied Labour declares that MPs had actually 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 been meant to be presented in April 2020.

But in her resignation letter, Ms Crouch said: "Unfortunately, execution of these changes are now being postponed until October 2019 due to commitments 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 lower stakes and its application, over ₤ 1.6 bn will be lost on these machines.

"In addition, two individuals will unfortunately take their lives every day due to gambling-related issues and, for that reason as much as any other, I believe this hold-up is unjustifiable."

She added: "It is a reality of federal government that ministers should stick to 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 applauding her on social media, 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 substantial credit not simply for her project however for sticking up for her concepts".

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

Currently, individuals can wager as much as ₤ 100 every 20 seconds on electronic gambling establishment video games such as roulette. Anti-gambling advocates state the makers let players lose cash too rapidly, causing dependency and social, mental and monetary issues.

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

In her response to Ms Crouch, the PM stated the federal government had actually listened to those who wanted the modifications to come into result sooner than April 2020 and "had actually concurred that the changes need 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 enter into force next October at the same time as changes to duty charged on gaming companies based abroad but operating in the UK.

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

Who is Tracey Crouch?

The 43-year-old MP has represented Chatham and Aylesford, in Kent, because 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 qualified FA coach

Grammar school informed 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 very 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 gambling industry".

He applauded Ms Crouch's "courageous and principled decision" and stated Culture Secretary Jeremy Wright "ought to be completely embarrassed" of prioritising "corporate interests over victims, revenues over public health and greed over good".

MPs from all sides of your house joined in his criticism. Former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith said it must be gone over as part of the Finance Bill later this month.

Week ahead in Parliament: The Finance Bill

He told the BBC: "There are plenty of individuals whose lives have been damaged by this dependency ... We need to do this very 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 actually informed the BBC that they will put down an amendment to the Finance Bill to try and bring in the changes next April.