sports betting Minister Tracey Crouch resigns over 'delay' 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 machines.

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 gamblers.

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

Prime Minister Theresa May stated she was disappointed Ms Crouch had resigned but there had actually been "no hold-up in bringing forward this important step".

High stakes for fixed-odds wagering machines

' I lost ₤ 250,000 on wagering machines'

sports betting machine stakes to be cut to ₤ 2

The government has denied 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 recommended the cut had actually been intended to be introduced in April 2020.

But in her resignation letter, Ms Crouch said: "Unfortunately, execution of these modifications are now being delayed till October 2019 due to commitments made by others to those with signed up interests.

This Twitter post can not be shown in your internet browser. Please enable Javascript or try 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 material?

This post includes content supplied by Twitter. We request your consent before anything is filled, as they might be using cookies and other technologies. You may desire to read Twitter's cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content pick 'accept and continue'.

Accept and continue

The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.

End of twitter post by Tracey Crouch

"From the time of the announcement to minimize stakes and its execution, over ₤ 1.6 bn will be lost on these makers.

"In addition, 2 individuals will tragically take their lives every day due to gambling-related issues and, for that reason as much as any other, I think this delay is unjustifiable."

She added: "It is a fact of federal government that ministers must abide by collective obligation and can not disagree with policy, not to mention when it is policy made versus your desires 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 courageous" including: "May God bless her commitment to doing right."

Former foreign secretary Boris Johnson tweeted, external that she "should have big credit not just for her campaign but for sticking up for her concepts".

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

Currently, people can wager as much as ₤ 100 every 20 seconds on electronic gambling establishment games such as roulette. Anti-gambling advocates state the machines let players lose cash too rapidly, leading to dependency and social, psychological and monetary problems.

But bookmakers have actually warned the cut in stakes might result in thousands of outlets closing.

In her reaction to Ms Crouch, the PM said the federal government had actually listened to those who desired the changes to come into result faster than April 2020 and "had actually concurred that the changes should be in place within the year - by October 2019".

In his Budget on Monday, the chancellor said the change to fixed-odds stakes would come into force next October at the same time as changes to responsibility charged on gaming firms based abroad however running in the UK.

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

Who is Tracey Crouch?

The 43-year-old MP has actually represented Chatham and Aylesford, in Kent, since 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 competent FA coach

Grade 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 numerous Tory MPs, consisting of Michael Howard and David Davis before meaning election

She had her very first child in 2016 and is believed to have actually 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 sports betting industry".

He praised Ms Crouch's "bold and principled choice" and said Culture Secretary Jeremy Wright "need to be completely embarrassed" of prioritising "corporate interests over victims, profits over public health and greed over excellent".

MPs from all sides of your house took part his criticism. Former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith stated it must be talked about as part of the Finance Bill later on this month.

Week ahead in Parliament: The Finance Bill

He informed the BBC: "There are plenty of individuals whose lives have been damaged by this addiction ... We need to do this very quickly, as rapidly as we can and in the meantime, the gambling market will make about ₤ 1bn as a result of this delay. That's wrong."

Labour has informed the BBC that they will put down a change to the Finance Bill to try and bring in the modifications next April.