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

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 said pushing back the date was "unjustifiable" and it might cost the lives of problem bettors.

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

Prime Minister Theresa May stated she was dissatisfied Ms Crouch had actually resigned but there had actually been "no delay in advancing this essential step".

High stakes for fixed-odds sports betting makers

' I lost ₤ 250,000 on wagering machines'

sports betting maker stakes to be cut to ₤ 2
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The federal government has actually rejected Labour claims that MPs had 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 actually been planned to be introduced in April 2020.

But in her resignation letter, Ms Crouch said: "Unfortunately, application 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 application, over ₤ 1.6 bn will be lost on these machines.

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

She included: "It is a reality of federal government that ministers need to stick to cumulative duty and can not disagree with policy, let alone when it is policy made versus your desires 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 courageous" adding: "May God bless her dedication to doing right."
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Former foreign secretary Boris Johnson tweeted, external that she "is worthy of big credit not just for her project but for sticking up for her concepts".
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Fixed-odds wagering terminals generate ₤ 1.8 bn in income a year for the sports betting 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 video games such as live roulette. Anti-gambling campaigners state the machines let players lose cash too rapidly, leading to dependency and social, mental and monetary problems.

But bookmakers have actually alerted the cut in stakes might lead to countless outlets closing.

In her reaction to Ms Crouch, the PM stated the government had listened to those who desired the changes to come into impact earlier than April 2020 and "had actually concurred that the modifications need to 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 same time as modifications to duty charged on sports betting companies based abroad however operating in the UK.

The government says co-ordinating the date of the two modifications would suggest 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, 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 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 representing election

She had her very first kid in 2016 and is thought to have actually been the first Tory minister to take maternity leave

But in the Commons on Thursday, Labour's deputy leader Tom Watson accused the federal government of "capitulating to the gaming industry".

He praised Ms Crouch's "bold and principled choice" and stated Culture Secretary Jeremy Wright "should be completely embarrassed" of prioritising "business interests over victims, profits over public health and greed over great".
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MPs from all sides of the in his criticism. Former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith stated it ought to be gone over as part of the Finance Bill later this month.

Week ahead in Parliament: The Finance Bill

He told the BBC: "There are plenty of individuals whose lives have been damaged by this dependency ... We require to do this really rapidly, as rapidly as we can and in the meantime, the gambling industry will make about ₤ 1bn as an outcome of this delay. That's not ideal."

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