Sports Minister Tracey Crouch Resigns over ‘Delay’ To Betting Crackdown

sports betting Minister Tracey Crouch resigns over ‘hold-up’ to wagering crackdown

1 November 2018

sports betting minister Tracey Crouch has actually resigned over “hold-ups” to a crackdown on maximum stakes for fixed-odds wagering machines.

Chancellor Philip Hammond stated in Monday’s Budget that the cut in stakes from ₤ 100 to ₤ 2 would enter force in October 2019.

Ms Crouch stated pushing back the date was “unjustifiable” and it might cost the lives of problem bettors.

She tweeted: “Politicians come and go but concepts remain with us forever.”

Prime Minister Theresa May said she was dissatisfied Ms Crouch had resigned but there had actually been “no hold-up in bringing forward this important procedure”.

High stakes for fixed-odds sports betting makers

‘ I lost ₤ 250,000 on sports betting devices’

sports betting maker stakes to be cut to ₤ 2

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

But in her resignation letter, Ms Crouch said: “Unfortunately, application of these modifications 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 web browser. Please make it possible for Javascript or try a different browser.View initial content on Twitter
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.

Skip twitter post by Tracey Crouch

Allow Twitter content?

This article includes material offered by Twitter. We request for your approval before anything is packed, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You might wish to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To see this material choose ‘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 statement to minimize stakes and its implementation, over ₤ 1.6 bn will be lost on these devices.

“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 believe this delay is unjustifiable.”

She added: “It is a truth of government that ministers must stick to cumulative obligation and can not disagree with policy, let alone when it is policy made against your wishes connecting 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” 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 campaign however for sticking up for her principles”.

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

Currently, individuals can wager as much as ₤ 100 every 20 seconds on electronic gambling establishment video games such as roulette. Anti-gambling campaigners state the devices let players lose money too rapidly, causing dependency and social, mental and monetary problems.

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

In her action to Ms Crouch, the PM stated the federal government had listened to those who desired the modifications to come into effect quicker than April 2020 and “had actually concurred that the changes ought to remain in place within the year – by October 2019”.

In his Budget on Monday, the chancellor said the modification to fixed-odds stakes would enter 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 two modifications would indicate the federal government would not be struck by a fall in tax income.

Who is Tracey Crouch?

The 43-year-old MP has represented Chatham and Aylesford, in Kent, because 2010

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

She is understood 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 worked for numerous Tory MPs, including Michael Howard and David Davis before representing election

She had her very first kid 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 “courageous and principled choice” and said Culture Secretary Jeremy Wright “ought to be thoroughly embarrassed” of prioritising “corporate interests over victims, revenues over public health and greed over great”.

MPs from all sides of the House participated his . Former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith stated it needs 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 lots of individuals whose lives have actually been harmed by this dependency … We require to do this really quickly, as quickly as we can and in the meantime, the gaming market will make about ₤ 1bn as an outcome of this delay. That’s not ideal.”

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