Government confirms U-turn on delay to FOBTs maximum stake cut

The government has U-turned on its decision to delay the promised reduction of the maximum stake on fixed-odds betting terminals. Due to take place by April 2019, the Tories had amended the autumn budget to instead implement the change six months later.

Tracey Crouch, the minister responsible for the policy area, then resigned, and further pressure has since been exerted by MPs from all parties including Tory ministers, who also pledged to rebel against the government.

Today the Prime Minister was asked by former Conservative leader Iain Duncan Smith at PMQs whether, in light of the cross-party amendments put down on the Finance Bill, the government would “accede and… get this process started on 1 April next year”.

Theresa May hinted that a U-turn was on its way in her reply: “..if my right honourable friend will have a little patience I can tell him my right honourable friend the Culture Secretary will set out further details later today.” In doing so, she will avoid heading the first government to suffer a defeat on its own budget bill in 40 years.

Jeremy Wright confirmed in a policy update this afternoon that the maximum stake reduction from £100 to £2 will now again take place in April 2019. The Culture Secretary said: “As a responsible government, it is right to take the needs of those employed by the gambling industry into account… Parliament has, however, been clear that they want this change to be made sooner.”

Labour said the U-turn on FOBTs exposes the “disastrous political judgement” of the government, and described the climb down as a “personal humiliation for Jeremy Wright”.

Tom Watson, the Shadow Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Secretary, said: “This climb down shows the disastrous political judgement of Culture Secretary Jeremy Wright and Chancellor Philip Hammond.

“It’s very sad that it took an honourable resignation of a good minister and a cross-party revolt to achieve the blindingly obvious and necessary reforms to fixed-odds betting terminals.

“Whilst this is a personal humiliation for Jeremy Wright, this is a very good day for the many thousands of people whose families and communities are blighted by gambling addiction.

“Labour is proud to be part of a cross party campaign to reform our gambling laws and we will continue to campaign for further improvements to regulation in the sector.”

Labour MP Carolyn Harris, who has campaigned for years on the issue, thanked MPs from across the House for helped force the U-turn.

For all those whose lives have been blighted by #FOBTs … this is for you. Thanks to all across both Houses that made this happen. pic.twitter.com/BprPAv3va6

— Carolyn Harris (@carolynharris24) November 14, 2018

Tracey Crouch, the sports and civil society minister who quit two weeks ago when the government refused to back down from the delay, tweeted she was “pleased that common sense has prevailed”. She added: “I’m sorry that my views as the minister in charge of the policy were not heard”.

My statement on the Government’s welcome decision to bring forward the implementation date for the reduction in FOBT stakes pic.twitter.com/uhgpMdpXzX

— Tracey Crouch (@tracey_crouch) November 14, 2018