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 wagering machines.

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 but concepts stick with us forever."

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

High stakes for fixed-odds sports betting makers

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

sports betting maker stakes to be cut to ₤ 2

The federal government has rejected Labour claims that MPs had actually been led to believe the cut would come into force at the start of the next tax year, in April 2019. They suggested the cut had been planned to be introduced in April 2020.

But in her resignation letter, Ms Crouch stated: "Unfortunately, application of these changes are now being delayed up until October 2019 due to dedications made by others to those with registered interests.

This Twitter post can not be displayed in your browser. Please allow Javascript or attempt a different browser.View original content on Twitter The BBC is not accountable for the content of external sites.

Skip twitter post by Tracey Crouch

Allow Twitter content?

This post includes material provided by Twitter. We ask for your consent before anything is filled, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to check out Twitter's cookie policy, external and personal privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose 'accept and continue'.

Accept and continue

The BBC is not accountable for the content of external websites.
bet9ja.com
End of twitter post by Tracey Crouch

"From the time of the statement to lower stakes and its implementation, over ₤ 1.6 bn will be lost on these machines.

"In addition, two individuals will unfortunately take their lives every day due to gambling-related issues and, for that factor as much as any other, I believe this hold-up is unjustifiable."

She included: "It is a truth of government that ministers must comply with cumulative obligation and can not disagree with policy, not to mention when it is policy made against your desires associating with 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 bold" including: "May God bless her commitment to doing right."

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

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

Currently, people can wager approximately ₤ 100 every 20 seconds on electronic casino games such as roulette. Anti-gambling campaigners say the devices let money too quickly, leading to addiction and social, psychological and monetary issues.

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

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

In his Budget on Monday, the chancellor stated the change to fixed-odds stakes would enter force next October at the same time as modifications to duty charged on gambling companies based abroad but running in the UK.

The government says co-ordinating the date of the two modifications would suggest 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, given that 2010

She was promoted to the front bench as sports betting minister in 2015
bet9ja.com
She is understood for her opposition to fox hunting and her love of football - she is a competent 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 various Tory MPs, consisting of Michael Howard and David Davis before meaning election

She had her first kid in 2016 and is believed to have actually been the very first Tory minister to take maternity leave
bit.ly
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 said Culture Secretary Jeremy Wright "must be completely ashamed" of prioritising "corporate interests over victims, earnings over public health and greed over excellent".

MPs from all sides of your home participated his criticism. Former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith said it ought 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 plenty of individuals whose lives have actually been harmed by this addiction ... We need to do this extremely quickly, as quickly as we can and in the meantime, the gaming industry will make about ₤ 1bn as an outcome of this delay. That's wrong."

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