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

1 November 2018
sports betting minister Tracey Crouch has resigned over "hold-ups" to a crackdown on maximum stakes for fixed-odds wagering makers.
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 said pressing back the date was "unjustifiable" and it could cost the lives of issue gamblers.
She tweeted: "Politicians come and go but principles remain with us forever."
Prime Minister Theresa May stated she was dissatisfied Ms Crouch had actually resigned however there had been "no delay in bringing forward this crucial measure".
High stakes for fixed-odds wagering machines
' I lost ₤ 250,000 on wagering devices'
sports betting machine 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 suggested the cut had actually been planned to be presented in April 2020.
But in her resignation letter, Ms Crouch stated: "Unfortunately, implementation of these modifications are now being delayed till October 2019 due to commitments made by others to those with registered interests.
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End of twitter post by Tracey Crouch
"From the time of the announcement to decrease stakes and its implementation, 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 problems and, because of that as much as any other, I think this delay is unjustifiable."
She added: "It is a reality of government that ministers must abide by cumulative duty and can not disagree with policy, not to mention when it is policy made versus your desires relating 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 bold" including: "May God bless her dedication to doing right."
Former foreign secretary Boris Johnson tweeted, external that she "should have huge credit not simply for her project but for sticking up for her concepts".
Fixed-odds wagering terminals generate ₤ 1.8 bn in profits a year for the wagering industry, according to the Gambling Commission, external, and taxes of ₤ 400m for the federal government.

Currently, people can bet approximately ₤ 100 every 20 seconds on electronic gambling establishment games such as live roulette. Anti-gambling campaigners say the makers let players lose cash too quickly, leading to dependency and social, psychological and financial issues.
But bookmakers have actually alerted the cut in stakes might result in thousands of outlets closing.
In her action to Ms Crouch, the PM stated the federal government had listened to those who wanted the changes to come into impact sooner than April 2020 and "had actually concurred that the changes must be in location within the year - by October 2019".
In his Budget on Monday, the chancellor said the change to fixed-odds stakes would come into force next October at the very same time as changes to duty charged on gambling companies based abroad however running in the UK.
The government states co-ordinating the date of the two changes would imply the government would not be hit by a fall in tax earnings.
Who is Tracey Crouch?
The 43-year-old MP has actually represented Chatham and Aylesford, in Kent, considering that 2010
She was promoted to the front bench as sports betting minister in 2015
She is known 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 actually worked for various Tory MPs, including Michael Howard and David Davis before meaning election
She had her very first child in 2016 and is believed to have 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 industry".
He applauded Ms Crouch's "courageous and principled choice" and said Culture Secretary Jeremy Wright "should be thoroughly ashamed" of prioritising "corporate interests over victims, earnings over public health and greed over good".
MPs from all sides of your home participated in his criticism. Former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith stated it should be discussed as part of the Finance Bill later this month.
Week ahead in Parliament: The Finance Bill

He informed the BBC: "There are plenty of people whose lives have been harmed by this addiction ... We require to do this really rapidly, as quickly as we can and in the meantime, the sports betting industry will make about ₤ 1bn as a result of this delay. That's not right."
Labour has actually told the BBC that they will put down a change to the Finance Bill to attempt and bring in the changes next April.
