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 maximum stakes for fixed-odds wagering devices.

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 stated pushing back the date was "unjustifiable" and it could cost the lives of issue gamblers.

She tweeted: "Politicians reoccur however principles stick with us permanently."

Prime Minister Theresa May stated she was disappointed Ms Crouch had actually resigned however there had actually been "no delay in bringing forward this important measure".

High stakes for fixed-odds wagering machines

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

sports betting maker stakes to be cut to ₤ 2

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

But in her resignation letter, Ms Crouch said: "Unfortunately, application of these modifications are now being postponed till 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 statement to decrease stakes and its implementation, 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 think this delay is unjustifiable."

She included: "It is a truth of federal government that ministers should comply with collective responsibility and can not disagree with policy, let alone when it is policy made against your wishes connecting to 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 brave" including: "May God bless her dedication to doing right."

Former foreign secretary Boris Johnson tweeted, external that she "is worthy of huge credit not just for her campaign however for sticking up for her principles".

Fixed-odds wagering terminals create ₤ 1.8 bn in profits 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 gambling establishment video games such as live roulette. Anti-gambling advocates say the makers let players lose cash too quickly, causing dependency and social, psychological and monetary issues.

But bookies have actually warned the cut in stakes might lead to thousands of outlets closing.

In her action to Ms Crouch, the PM stated the federal government had listened to those who wanted the modifications to come into effect faster than April 2020 and "had actually concurred that the changes need to be in place 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 exact same time as changes to responsibility charged on gaming companies based abroad however operating in the UK.

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

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 understood for her opposition to fox searching and her love of football - she is a competent 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 actually worked for various Tory MPs, including 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 implicated the federal government of "capitulating to the gambling market".

He applauded Ms Crouch's "brave and principled choice" and stated Culture Secretary Jeremy Wright "must be completely ashamed" of prioritising "corporate interests over victims, profits over public health and greed over excellent".

MPs from all sides of your home participated in his criticism. Former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith stated it must 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 a lot of people whose lives have been harmed by this dependency ... We need to do this really quickly, as rapidly as we can and in the meantime, the gambling market will make about ₤ 1bn as an outcome of this hold-up. That's not right."

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