sports betting Minister Tracey Crouch resigns over 'hold-up' 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 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 might cost the lives of issue bettors.

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

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

High stakes for fixed-odds sports betting machines

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

sports betting device stakes to be cut to ₤ 2

The federal government has denied Labour declares that MPs had actually been led to believe the cut would enter force at the start of the next tax year, in April 2019. They recommended the cut had been intended to be presented in April 2020.

But in her resignation letter, Ms Crouch stated: "Unfortunately, implementation of these modifications are now being postponed till October 2019 due to dedications made by others to those with signed up interests.

This Twitter post can not be displayed in your internet browser. Please enable Javascript or attempt a different browser.View initial material on Twitter
The BBC is not responsible for the material of external sites.

Skip twitter post by Tracey Crouch

Allow Twitter content?

This short article contains content offered by Twitter. We ask for your authorization before anything is packed, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You might wish to check out Twitter's cookie policy, external and personal privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content select 'accept and continue'.

Accept and continue

The BBC is not accountable for the material of external websites.

End of twitter post by Tracey Crouch

"From the time of the statement to minimize stakes and its application, over ₤ 1.6 bn will be lost on these devices.

"In addition, two individuals will unfortunately take their lives every day due to gambling-related issues and, because of that as much as any other, I think this delay is unjustifiable."

She included: "It is a fact of federal government that ministers need to follow cumulative obligation and can not disagree with policy, not to mention when it is policy made against your desires relating 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 courageous" including: "May God bless her dedication to doing right."

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

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

Currently, people can bet as much as ₤ 100 every 20 seconds on electronic gambling establishment video games such as roulette. Anti-gambling advocates state the machines let gamers lose cash too rapidly, resulting in dependency and social, psychological and financial issues.

But bookmakers have cautioned the cut in stakes could result in thousands of outlets closing.

In her response to Ms Crouch, the PM said the federal government had actually listened to those who desired the changes to come into impact sooner than April 2020 and "had concurred that the changes ought to remain in location within the year - by October 2019".

In his Budget on Monday, the chancellor stated the modification to fixed-odds stakes would enter into force next October at the very same time as changes to task charged on gaming companies based abroad but running in the UK.

The federal government states co-ordinating the date of the 2 modifications would suggest the federal government would not be struck by a fall in tax earnings.

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 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 representing election

She had her first kid 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 government of "capitulating to the gaming industry".

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

MPs from all sides of your home joined in his criticism. Former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith stated it should 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 a lot of people whose lives have actually been harmed by this addiction ... We require to do this really rapidly, as rapidly as we can and in the meantime, the gaming market will make about ₤ 1bn as an outcome of this delay. That's wrong."

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