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

1 November 2018
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sports betting minister Tracey Crouch has actually 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 force in October 2019.

Ms Crouch said pressing back the date was "unjustifiable" and it might cost the lives of issue gamblers.

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

Prime Minister Theresa May stated she was disappointed Ms Crouch had resigned but there had actually been "no hold-up in advancing this important step".

High stakes for fixed-odds wagering makers

' I lost ₤ 250,000 on devices'

sports betting device stakes to be cut to ₤ 2

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

But in her resignation letter, Ms Crouch said: "Unfortunately, execution of these modifications are now being postponed till October 2019 due to dedications 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 announcement to lower stakes and its implementation, over ₤ 1.6 bn will be lost on these machines.

"In addition, 2 individuals will unfortunately take their lives every day due to gambling-related issues and, for that reason as much as any other, I believe this hold-up is unjustifiable."

She included: "It is a reality of government that ministers should adhere to cumulative responsibility and can not disagree with policy, let alone when it is policy made against your desires connecting to your own portfolio."

'God bless'

Among those applauding her on social networks, the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby tweeted, external that she was "principled and brave" including: "May God bless her commitment 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 principles".

Fixed-odds sports betting terminals create ₤ 1.8 bn in income a year for the wagering market, according to the Gambling Commission, external, and taxes of ₤ 400m for the government.

Currently, individuals can bet as much as ₤ 100 every 20 seconds on electronic gambling establishment games such as live roulette. Anti-gambling advocates state the devices let gamers lose cash too rapidly, causing addiction and social, psychological and financial problems.

But bookies have alerted the cut in stakes could lead to thousands of outlets closing.

In her response to Ms Crouch, the PM stated the government had actually listened to those who desired the modifications to come into result faster than April 2020 and "had actually concurred that the changes ought to be in place within the year - by October 2019".

In his Budget on Monday, the chancellor said the modification to fixed-odds stakes would come into force next October at the exact same time as modifications to duty charged on gaming firms based abroad but running in the UK.

The government says co-ordinating the date of the 2 changes would indicate the federal government would not be struck by a fall in tax profits.

Who is Tracey Crouch?

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

She was promoted to the front bench as sports betting minister in 2015

She is understood for her opposition to fox searching and her love of football - she is a certified FA coach

Grade school educated 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, consisting of Michael Howard and David Davis before representing election

She had her first kid in 2016 and is thought 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 implicated the government of "capitulating to the gaming market".

He praised Ms Crouch's "brave and principled decision" and said Culture Secretary Jeremy Wright "need to be thoroughly embarrassed" of prioritising "corporate interests over victims, profits over public health and greed over good".

MPs from all sides of your home participated in his criticism. Former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith said it needs to be talked about 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 addiction ... We require to do this really quickly, as quickly as we can and in the meantime, the gambling market will make about ₤ 1bn as an outcome of this delay. That's wrong."

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