UK sports minister resigns in protest at gambling reform 'delay': BBC
LONDON (Reuters) - British sports minister Tracey Crouch resigned from government on Thursday, the BBC reported, in a row over whether ministers had delayed a proposed implementation of gambling reforms.
The government is to cut the maximum stake on fixed-odds betting terminals (FOBTs) from 100 pounds to just two pounds, but not until next October. The move came after ministers opted to try to tackle problem gambling on the machines and rejected claims that such a big reduction could cost thousands of jobs.
The proposal was announced by Crouch, 43, who the BBC said had expected the change would be brought in from next April.
Prime Minister Theresa May’s office said it could not confirm her resignation, but the opposition Labour Party said she had taken a principled stance over the decision to delay cutting the maximum stake.
“She poured her heart and soul into a significant review of these destructive machines, faced down a systematic lobbying attempt by the gambling industry and took the right decision for those suffering from problem gambling, their families and communities,” said Labour’s culture spokesman Tom Watson.
Earlier, the government said the reform had not been delayed and that its implementation was timed to coincide with other tax increases to ensure that there was no public finance shortfall. It also said the industry needed time to adjust.
“There is no delay in bringing this in. We have never confirmed a date until this week. We’ve listened to stakeholders ... who wanted it to happen before April 2020, and that’s what we’re doing,” Prime Minister Theresa May’s spokesman said.
Reporting by Michael Holden; editing by Stephen Addison
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