sports betting Minister Tracey Crouch resigns over 'delay' to wagering crackdown

1 November 2018

sports betting minister Tracey Crouch has resigned over "delays" to a crackdown on maximum stakes for fixed-odds sports betting machines.
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Chancellor Philip Hammond stated in Monday's Budget that the cut in stakes from ₤ 100 to ₤ 2 would come into force in October 2019.

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

She tweeted: "Politicians reoccur but concepts remain with us permanently."

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

High stakes for fixed-odds wagering devices

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

sports betting maker stakes to be cut to ₤ 2

The government has actually claims 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 actually been meant to be introduced in April 2020.

But in her resignation letter, Ms Crouch said: "Unfortunately, implementation of these changes are now being postponed 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
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"From the time of the statement to lower stakes and its implementation, over ₤ 1.6 bn will be lost on these makers.

"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 believe this delay is unjustifiable."

She added: "It is a reality of federal government that ministers need to stick to cumulative responsibility and can not disagree with policy, let alone when it is policy made against your dreams relating 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" including: "May God bless her commitment to doing right."

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

Fixed-odds wagering terminals generate ₤ 1.8 bn in profits 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 games such as live roulette. Anti-gambling campaigners say the makers let gamers lose cash too rapidly, resulting in addiction and social, psychological and monetary issues.

But bookies have actually warned the cut in stakes might cause countless outlets closing.

In her action to Ms Crouch, the PM stated the federal government had actually listened to those who wanted the modifications to come into effect faster than April 2020 and "had actually agreed that the modifications should remain in location within the year - by October 2019".

In his Budget on Monday, the chancellor stated the modification to fixed-odds stakes would come into force next October at the very same time as changes to duty charged on sports betting companies based abroad but operating in the UK.

The government says co-ordinating the date of the 2 changes would imply the federal government would not be struck by a fall in tax income.

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 hunting 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 numerous Tory MPs, consisting of 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 "must be completely embarrassed" of prioritising "business interests over victims, profits over public health and greed over good".

MPs from all sides of the House took part his criticism. Former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith said it needs to be talked about as part of the Finance Bill later on this month.

Week ahead in Parliament: The Finance Bill

He told the BBC: "There are a lot of people whose lives have been damaged by this dependency ... We require to do this extremely rapidly, as rapidly as we can and in the meantime, the sports betting industry will make about ₤ 1bn as an outcome of this hold-up. That's wrong."

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