sports betting Minister Tracey Crouch resigns over 'delay' to crackdown

1 November 2018

sports betting minister Tracey Crouch has resigned over "hold-ups" to a crackdown on optimal stakes for fixed-odds sports betting 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 problem bettors.

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

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

High stakes for fixed-odds sports betting machines
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' I lost ₤ 250,000 on sports betting makers'

sports betting machine stakes to be cut to ₤ 2

The 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 actually 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 commitments made by others to those with registered interests.

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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 people will tragically take their lives every day due to gambling-related problems and, for that reason as much as any other, I think this hold-up is unjustifiable."

She added: "It is a reality of government that ministers need to stick to cumulative duty and can not disagree with policy, not to mention when it is policy made versus your wishes relating 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 brave" adding: "May God bless her commitment to doing right."

Former foreign secretary Boris Johnson tweeted, external that she "is worthy of big credit not simply for her project but for sticking up for her principles".

Fixed-odds wagering terminals produce ₤ 1.8 bn in income a year for the wagering market, according to the Gambling Commission, external, and taxes of ₤ 400m for the government.
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Currently, people can bet approximately ₤ 100 every 20 seconds on electronic casino games such as live roulette. Anti-gambling campaigners state the machines let gamers lose money too rapidly, leading to addiction and social, psychological and financial issues.

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

In her reaction to Ms Crouch, the PM stated the government had actually listened to those who wanted the changes to come into effect faster than April 2020 and "had concurred that the modifications must be in place within the year - by October 2019".

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

The government states co-ordinating the date of the 2 changes would mean the government would not be hit by a fall in tax profits.
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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 understood for her opposition to fox hunting and her love of football - she is a competent FA coach
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Grade 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 various Tory MPs, consisting of Michael Howard and David Davis before representing election

She had her first child in 2016 and is believed to have actually 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 "bold and principled decision" and said Culture Secretary Jeremy Wright "ought to be thoroughly ashamed" of prioritising "business 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 stated it must 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 a lot of individuals whose lives have been harmed by this dependency ... We need to do this extremely rapidly, as rapidly as we can and in the meantime, the sports betting market will make about ₤ 1bn as an outcome of this delay. That's not right."

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