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


1 November 2018


sports betting minister Tracey Crouch has resigned over "delays" 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 stated pressing back the date was "unjustifiable" and it could cost the lives of issue gamblers.


She tweeted: "Politicians come and go however principles stick with us permanently."


Prime Minister Theresa May said she was disappointed Ms Crouch had resigned however there had actually been "no delay in advancing this crucial procedure".


High stakes for fixed-odds sports betting devices


' I lost ₤ 250,000 on wagering machines'


Betting maker stakes to be cut to ₤ 2


The government has denied Labour claims 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 meant to be introduced in April 2020.


But in her resignation letter, Ms Crouch stated: "Unfortunately, execution of these changes are now being postponed up until October 2019 due to commitments 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 decrease stakes and its implementation, over ₤ 1.6 bn will be lost on these machines.


"In addition, two individuals will tragically 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 added: "It is a truth of government that ministers must comply with cumulative duty 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 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 simply for her project but for sticking up for her principles".


Fixed-odds sports betting 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 government.


Currently, people can bet up to ₤ 100 every 20 seconds on electronic gambling establishment video games such as roulette. Anti-gambling campaigners say the devices let gamers lose money too rapidly, causing addiction and social, psychological and monetary issues.


But bookmakers have 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 result quicker than April 2020 and "had agreed that the changes should remain in place within the year - by October 2019".


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


The federal government states co-ordinating the date of the 2 modifications would suggest the federal government would not be hit by a fall in tax profits.


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 known for her opposition to fox searching and her love of football - she is a certified 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, including Michael Howard and David Davis before representing election


She had her first kid in 2016 and is believed 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 sports betting industry".


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


MPs from all sides of the House participated his criticism. Former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith stated it ought to be discussed as part of the Finance Bill later on this month.


Week ahead in Parliament: The Finance Bill


He informed the BBC: "There are a lot of individuals whose lives have been damaged by this dependency ... We require to do this extremely rapidly, as rapidly as we can and in the meantime, the gambling market will make about ₤ 1bn as a result of this delay. That's not ideal."


Labour has informed the BBC that they will put down a modification to the Finance Bill to try and bring in the modifications next April.