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

1 November 2018

sports betting minister Tracey Crouch has resigned over "delays" to a crackdown on optimal 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 said pushing back the date was "unjustifiable" and it could cost the lives of problem gamblers.
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She tweeted: "Politicians come and go but concepts stay with us permanently."

Prime Minister Theresa May stated she was dissatisfied Ms Crouch had resigned but there had actually been "no hold-up in advancing this essential step".
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High stakes for fixed-odds wagering machines

' I lost ₤ 250,000 on wagering machines'
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sports betting machine stakes to be cut to ₤ 2
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The government has actually rejected Labour declares that MPs had 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 actually been meant to be presented in April 2020.

But in her resignation letter, Ms Crouch stated: "Unfortunately, application of these modifications are now being postponed up until 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 devices.

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

She added: "It is a truth of federal government that ministers need to follow collective duty and can not disagree with policy, not to mention when it is policy made versus your wishes relating to your own portfolio."

'God bless'

Among those praising her on social media, the 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 "deserves substantial credit not just for her project however for sticking up for her concepts".

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

Currently, people can bet up to ₤ 100 every 20 seconds on electronic gambling establishment games such as roulette. Anti-gambling advocates say the devices let gamers lose money too rapidly, resulting in dependency and social, psychological and monetary problems.

But bookies have actually cautioned the cut in stakes could lead to countless outlets closing.

In her reaction to Ms Crouch, the PM said the federal government had listened to those who desired the changes to come into impact faster than April 2020 and "had actually agreed that the changes need to remain in place within the year - by October 2019".

In his Budget on Monday, the chancellor stated the modification to fixed-odds stakes would enter force next October at the very same time as modifications to responsibility charged on gambling companies based abroad however running in the UK.

The federal government states co-ordinating the date of the two changes would mean the federal government would not be hit by a fall in tax income.

Who is Tracey Crouch?

The 43-year-old MP has represented Chatham and Aylesford, in Kent, given 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 certified 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 worked for different Tory MPs, including Michael Howard and David Davis before meaning 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, Labour's deputy leader Tom Watson implicated the federal government of "capitulating to the gambling market".

He praised Ms Crouch's "brave and principled choice" and stated Culture Secretary Jeremy Wright "ought to be thoroughly embarrassed" of prioritising "business interests over victims, revenues over public health and greed over great".

MPs from all sides of your house joined in his criticism. Former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith stated it ought to be gone over 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 need to do this really rapidly, as quickly as we can and in the meantime, the gaming industry will make about ₤ 1bn as a result of this delay. That's wrong."

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