sports betting Minister Tracey Crouch resigns over 'hold-up' 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 wagering makers.
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Chancellor Philip Hammond said in Monday's Budget that the cut in stakes from ₤ 100 to ₤ 2 would enter force in October 2019.

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

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

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

High stakes for fixed-odds sports betting machines

' I lost ₤ 250,000 on devices'

sports betting device stakes to be cut to ₤ 2

The government has actually denied Labour claims 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 planned to be introduced in April 2020.

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

"In addition, 2 individuals will tragically take their lives every day due to gambling-related problems and, for that reason as much as any other, I believe this hold-up is unjustifiable."
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She included: "It is a fact of government that ministers need to adhere to 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 praising her on social media, 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 "deserves substantial credit not simply 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 wagering industry, according to the Gambling Commission, external, and taxes of ₤ 400m for the government.

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

But bookies have alerted the cut in stakes might result in thousands of outlets closing.

In her action to Ms Crouch, the PM stated the federal government had listened to those who desired the changes to come into impact earlier than April 2020 and "had concurred that the modifications ought to remain 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 exact same time as changes to duty charged on gambling companies based abroad but operating in the UK.

The federal government says co-ordinating the date of the 2 changes would suggest the federal government would not be hit by a fall in tax profits.

Who is Tracey Crouch?

The 43-year-old MP has actually represented Chatham and Aylesford, in Kent, given that 2010

She was promoted to the front bench as sports betting minister in 2015

She is known for her opposition to fox searching 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 actually worked for numerous Tory MPs, consisting of Michael Howard and David Davis before standing for election

She had her very first kid 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 market".

He praised Ms Crouch's "courageous and principled choice" and stated Culture Secretary Jeremy Wright "should be thoroughly embarrassed" of prioritising "business interests over victims, earnings over public health and greed over excellent".

MPs from all sides of the House participated in his criticism. Former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith said it ought to be gone over as part of the Finance Bill later this month.

Week ahead in Parliament: The Finance Bill
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He informed the BBC: "There are a lot of people whose lives have actually been harmed by this addiction ... We require to do this really quickly, as quickly as we can and in the meantime, the gaming industry will make about ₤ 1bn as a result of this hold-up. That's not right."

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