1 Sports Minister Tracey Crouch Resigns over 'Hold up' To Betting Crackdown
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sports betting Minister Tracey Crouch resigns over 'delay' to sports betting crackdown
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1 November 2018

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

Chancellor Philip Hammond said 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 might cost the lives of problem gamblers.

She tweeted: "Politicians come and go but concepts stay with us forever."

Prime Minister Theresa May stated she was disappointed Ms Crouch had resigned however there had been "no delay in bringing forward this crucial procedure".

High stakes for fixed-odds wagering makers

' I lost ₤ 250,000 on wagering makers'

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 recommended the cut had actually been meant to be presented in April 2020.

But in her resignation letter, Ms Crouch said: "Unfortunately, application of these modifications are now being delayed up until October 2019 due to commitments made by others to those with registered interests.

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End of twitter post by Tracey Crouch
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"From the time of the announcement to lower stakes and its implementation, over ₤ 1.6 bn will be lost on these devices.

"In addition, two individuals will tragically 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."
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She added: "It is a fact of federal government that ministers need to abide by cumulative duty and can not disagree with policy, let alone when it is policy made against your dreams relating to your own portfolio."

'God bless'

Among those praising her on social networks, 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 "is worthy of substantial credit not just for her campaign however for sticking up for her concepts".
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Fixed-odds wagering terminals produce ₤ 1.8 bn in revenue a year for the wagering industry, according to the Gambling Commission, external, and taxes of ₤ 400m for the government.

Currently, people can bet as much as ₤ 100 every 20 seconds on electronic casino games such as roulette. state the machines let gamers lose cash too rapidly, causing dependency and social, psychological and financial issues.

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

In her reaction to Ms Crouch, the PM stated the federal government had listened to those who desired the modifications to come into effect sooner than April 2020 and "had agreed that the changes ought to be in place within the year - by October 2019".

In his Budget on Monday, the chancellor stated the change to fixed-odds stakes would enter into force next October at the exact same time as changes to duty charged on gaming companies based abroad but running in the UK.

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

Who is Tracey Crouch?

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

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

She is understood for her opposition to fox hunting and her love of football - she is a qualified 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 actually worked for various Tory MPs, consisting of Michael Howard and David Davis before standing for election

She had her first child 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 government of "capitulating to the gambling market".
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He applauded Ms Crouch's "bold and principled choice" and said Culture Secretary Jeremy Wright "should be thoroughly embarrassed" of prioritising "corporate interests over victims, revenues over public health and greed over great".

MPs from all sides of the House participated in his criticism. Former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith said it must be discussed as part of the Finance Bill later this month.

Week ahead in Parliament: The Finance Bill

He informed the BBC: "There are plenty of individuals whose lives have been damaged by this dependency ... We require to do this extremely rapidly, as rapidly as we can and in the meantime, the gambling market will make about ₤ 1bn as an outcome of this hold-up. That's not best."

Labour has informed the BBC that they will put down an amendment to the Finance Bill to attempt and generate the changes next April.