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sports betting Minister Tracey Crouch resigns over 'delay' to sports betting crackdown
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1 November 2018

sports betting minister Tracey Crouch has actually resigned over "hold-ups" to a crackdown on maximum stakes for machines.

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 pushing back the date was "unjustifiable" and it could cost the lives of problem gamblers.

She tweeted: "Politicians come and go but concepts stick with us permanently."

Prime Minister Theresa May said she was disappointed Ms Crouch had resigned however there had been "no delay in bringing forward this important step".

High stakes for fixed-odds wagering machines

' I lost ₤ 250,000 on wagering makers'

sports betting maker stakes to be cut to ₤ 2

The government has actually 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 recommended the cut had actually been meant to be introduced in April 2020.

But in her resignation letter, Ms Crouch stated: "Unfortunately, implementation of these changes are now being delayed 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 reduce stakes and its implementation, over ₤ 1.6 bn will be lost on these makers.

"In addition, 2 people will unfortunately take their lives every day due to gambling-related problems and, for that factor as much as any other, I think this delay is unjustifiable."

She included: "It is a truth of federal government that ministers must adhere to cumulative responsibility and can not disagree with policy, not to mention when it is policy made against your wishes connecting 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" including: "May God bless her dedication to doing right."

Former foreign secretary Boris Johnson tweeted, external that she "should have substantial credit not just for her project however for sticking up for her principles".

Fixed-odds wagering 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, individuals can bet as much as ₤ 100 every 20 seconds on electronic gambling establishment games such as roulette. Anti-gambling advocates state the devices let players lose money too quickly, causing addiction and social, psychological and financial issues.

But bookmakers have cautioned the cut in stakes could result in countless outlets closing.

In her reaction to Ms Crouch, the PM said the federal government had listened to those who desired the modifications to come into result quicker 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 stated the change to fixed-odds stakes would come into force next October at the same time as modifications to responsibility charged on sports betting firms based abroad however running in the UK.

The federal government says co-ordinating the date of the two modifications would imply the 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, since 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 certified FA coach

Grade 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 first kid in 2016 and is thought to have actually 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 industry".

He praised Ms Crouch's "brave and principled choice" and said Culture Secretary Jeremy Wright "must be completely ashamed" of prioritising "corporate interests over victims, earnings over public health and greed over good".

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

Week ahead in Parliament: The Finance Bill

He informed the BBC: "There are a lot of people whose lives have been harmed by this addiction ... We require to do this really rapidly, as rapidly as we can and in the meantime, the sports betting industry will make about ₤ 1bn as a result of this hold-up. That's wrong."

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