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

1 November 2018

sports betting minister Tracey Crouch has resigned over "delays" to a crackdown on maximum stakes for fixed-odds sports betting makers.

Chancellor Philip Hammond stated in Monday's Budget that the cut in stakes from ₤ 100 to ₤ 2 would enter into force in October 2019.

Ms Crouch stated pushing back the date was "unjustifiable" and it could cost the lives of issue gamblers.
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She tweeted: "Politicians reoccur but concepts stay with us forever."

Prime Minister Theresa May said she was dissatisfied Ms Crouch had actually resigned however there had been "no hold-up in advancing this crucial step".

High stakes for fixed-odds wagering machines
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' I lost ₤ 250,000 on wagering makers'

sports betting machine stakes to be cut to ₤ 2

The government has actually rejected Labour claims that MPs had actually been led to believe the cut would enter into force at the start of the next tax year, in April 2019. They suggested the cut had been meant to be introduced in April 2020.

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

"In addition, two people 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 included: "It is a truth of federal government that ministers must adhere to collective responsibility and can not disagree with policy, not to mention when it is policy made versus your wishes connecting 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 courageous" including: "May God bless her commitment to doing right."

Former foreign secretary Boris Johnson tweeted, external that she "should have big credit not just for her campaign but for sticking up for her principles".

Fixed-odds sports betting terminals produce ₤ 1.8 bn in profits a year for the sports betting market, according to the Gambling Commission, external, and taxes of ₤ 400m for the government.
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Currently, people can wager approximately ₤ 100 every 20 seconds on electronic casino games such as live roulette. Anti-gambling campaigners say the makers let players lose cash too rapidly, causing dependency and social, psychological and financial problems.

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

In her response to Ms Crouch, the PM said the federal government had actually listened to those who desired the modifications to come into effect quicker than April 2020 and "had actually agreed that the modifications must remain in location within the year - by October 2019".

In his Budget on Monday, the chancellor stated the change to fixed-odds stakes would enter force next October at the same time as changes to duty charged on sports betting firms based abroad but operating in the UK.

The government states co-ordinating the date of the two changes would suggest the government would not be struck by a fall in tax earnings.

Who is Tracey Crouch?

The 43-year-old MP has represented Chatham and Aylesford, in Kent, considering that 2010

She was promoted to the front bench as sports betting minister in 2015
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She is known for her opposition to fox searching and her love of football - she is a competent FA coach

Grammar 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 numerous Tory MPs, consisting of Michael Howard and David Davis before representing election

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

But in the Commons on Thursday, leader Tom Watson implicated the federal government of "capitulating to the gambling market".

He applauded Ms Crouch's "brave and principled choice" and said Culture Secretary Jeremy Wright "ought to be completely embarrassed" of prioritising "business interests over victims, profits over public health and greed over good".

MPs from all sides of the House participated his criticism. Former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith said it needs to be discussed as part of the Finance Bill later this month.
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Week ahead in Parliament: The Finance Bill

He told the BBC: "There are a lot of individuals whose lives have been harmed by this addiction ... We need to do this really quickly, as rapidly as we can and in the meantime, the gambling industry will make about ₤ 1bn as an outcome of this hold-up. That's not right."

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