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sports betting Minister Tracey Crouch resigns over 'delay' to wagering crackdown
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1 November 2018

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

Chancellor Philip Hammond said in Monday's Budget that the cut in stakes from ₤ 100 to ₤ 2 would come into force in October 2019.

Ms Crouch stated pushing back the date was "unjustifiable" and it might cost the lives of problem gamblers.

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

Prime Minister Theresa May said she was dissatisfied Ms Crouch had resigned however there had actually been "no hold-up in bringing forward this essential step".

High stakes for fixed-odds sports betting devices
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' I lost ₤ 250,000 on sports betting makers'

sports betting device stakes to be cut to ₤ 2

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

But in her resignation letter, Ms Crouch stated: "Unfortunately, execution of these changes are now being delayed till October 2019 due to commitments 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 statement to reduce stakes and its execution, over ₤ 1.6 bn will be lost on these devices.

"In addition, 2 individuals will tragically take their lives every day due to gambling-related issues and, because of that as much as any other, I think this hold-up is unjustifiable."

She included: "It is a fact of federal government that ministers need to abide by cumulative obligation and can not disagree with policy, not to mention when it is policy made against your desires associating with your own portfolio."
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'God bless'

Among those praising her on social media, the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby tweeted, external that she was "principled and courageous" adding: "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 project but for sticking up for her principles".

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

Currently, people can bet approximately ₤ 100 every 20 seconds on electronic gambling establishment video games such as live roulette. Anti-gambling advocates state the makers let gamers lose cash too quickly, leading to dependency and social, mental and monetary problems.

But bookmakers have actually cautioned the cut in stakes could result in countless outlets closing.

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

In his Budget on Monday, the said the modification to fixed-odds stakes would enter into force next October at the same time as changes to responsibility charged on gambling companies based abroad but running in the UK.

The government says co-ordinating the date of the 2 changes would suggest the federal government would not be hit by a fall in tax revenue.

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 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 worked for different 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 gambling industry".

He applauded Ms Crouch's "courageous and principled choice" and stated Culture Secretary Jeremy Wright "should be thoroughly embarrassed" of prioritising "corporate interests over victims, profits over public health and greed over good".

MPs from all sides of the House took part his criticism. Former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith said it must be gone over as part of the Finance Bill later on this month.

Week ahead in Parliament: The Finance Bill
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He informed the BBC: "There are lots of individuals whose lives have been harmed by this dependency ... We require to do this really rapidly, as rapidly as we can and in the meantime, the gambling market will make about ₤ 1bn as a result of this hold-up. That's wrong."

Labour has informed the BBC that they will put down an amendment to the Finance Bill to try and bring in the modifications next April.
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