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 maximum stakes for fixed-odds sports betting devices.

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 stated pressing back the date was "unjustifiable" and it could cost the lives of issue bettors.

She tweeted: "Politicians come and go however concepts stick with us forever."

Prime Minister Theresa May said she was disappointed Ms Crouch had actually resigned but there had been "no delay in bringing forward this essential procedure".

High stakes for fixed-odds sports betting devices

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

sports betting device stakes to be cut to ₤ 2

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

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

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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 makers.

"In addition, 2 individuals will unfortunately take their lives every day due to gambling-related problems and, because of that as much as any other, I believe this delay is unjustifiable."

She included: "It is a truth of federal government that ministers need to comply with cumulative responsibility and can not disagree with policy, let alone when it is policy made against your wishes relating to your own portfolio."

'God bless'

Among those praising 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 "is worthy of big credit not just for her campaign but for sticking up for her concepts".

Fixed-odds sports betting 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 government.

Currently, people can bet as much as ₤ 100 every 20 seconds on electronic casino games such as roulette. Anti-gambling campaigners state the machines let gamers lose cash too rapidly, leading to dependency and social, psychological and financial problems.

But bookmakers have warned the cut in stakes could lead to thousands of outlets closing.

In her reaction to Ms Crouch, the PM stated the federal government had listened to those who desired the changes to come into result quicker than April 2020 and "had concurred that the modifications need to 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 task charged on gaming companies based abroad however operating in the UK.

The government says co-ordinating the date of the two changes would mean the federal government would not be hit by a fall in tax income.

Who is Tracey Crouch?

The 43-year-old MP has 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 hunting and her love of football - she is a qualified 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, including Michael Howard and David Davis before meaning election

She had her very first child 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 federal government of "capitulating to the gambling industry".

He applauded Ms Crouch's "courageous and principled choice" and stated Culture Secretary Jeremy Wright "should be thoroughly ashamed" of prioritising "business interests over victims, profits over public health and greed over great".

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

Week ahead in Parliament: The Finance Bill

He told the BBC: "There are lots of people whose lives have been harmed by this dependency ... We require to do this really rapidly, as quickly as we can and in the meantime, the sports betting industry will make about ₤ 1bn as an outcome 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 generate the modifications next April.