sports betting Minister Tracey Crouch resigns over 'hold-up' to sports betting crackdown

1 November 2018

sports betting minister Tracey Crouch has actually resigned over "hold-ups" to a crackdown on optimal stakes for fixed-odds wagering 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 might cost the lives of problem bettors.

She tweeted: "Politicians reoccur but principles stay with us forever."

Prime Minister Theresa May said she was dissatisfied Ms Crouch had resigned however there had actually been "no delay in advancing this essential measure".

High stakes for fixed-odds wagering machines

' I lost ₤ 250,000 on wagering makers'

sports betting device stakes to be cut to ₤ 2

The federal government has actually denied Labour declares that MPs had actually been led to believe the cut would enter force at the start of the next tax year, in April 2019. They recommended the cut had actually been planned to be introduced in April 2020.

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

This Twitter post can not be shown in your web browser. Please enable Javascript or attempt a various browser.View original material on Twitter
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external websites.

Skip twitter post by Tracey Crouch

Allow Twitter material?

This short article includes content provided by Twitter. We request your authorization before anything is packed, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter's cookie policy, external and personal privacy policy, external before accepting. To see this material choose 'accept and continue'.

Accept and continue

The BBC is not accountable for the content of external websites.

End of twitter post by Tracey Crouch

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

"In addition, two individuals will tragically take their lives every day due to gambling-related issues and, because of that as much as any other, I think this hold-up is unjustifiable."

She added: "It is a reality of government that ministers must adhere to cumulative responsibility and can not disagree with policy, let alone when it is policy made against your desires connecting to your own portfolio."

'God bless'

Among those applauding her on social media, the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby tweeted, external that she was "principled and brave" adding: "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 campaign but for sticking up for her concepts".

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

Currently, people can bet up to ₤ 100 every 20 seconds on electronic casino video games such as live roulette. Anti-gambling advocates state the makers let gamers lose money too rapidly, causing addiction and social, mental and financial issues.

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

In her response to Ms Crouch, the PM said the government had actually listened to those who wanted the modifications to come into impact earlier than April 2020 and "had actually concurred that the modifications should remain in location within the year - by October 2019".

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

The federal government states co-ordinating the date of the 2 modifications would imply the federal government would not be struck by a fall in tax earnings.

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

She is understood for her opposition to fox hunting and her love of football - she is a qualified FA coach

Grade 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 different Tory MPs, consisting of Michael Howard and David Davis before standing for 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 sports betting market".

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, profits over public health and greed over great".

MPs from all sides of your home took part his criticism. Former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith stated it must be discussed 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 individuals whose lives have actually been damaged by this dependency ... We need to do this really rapidly, as rapidly as we can and in the meantime, the gambling market will make about ₤ 1bn as a result of this hold-up. That's wrong."

Labour has informed the BBC that they will put down a change to the Finance Bill to attempt and generate the changes next April.