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sports betting Minister Tracey Crouch resigns over 'delay' to wagering crackdown
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1 November 2018
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sports betting minister Tracey Crouch has resigned over "delays" to a crackdown on maximum 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 force in October 2019.

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

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

Prime Minister Theresa May stated she was disappointed Ms Crouch had resigned but there had been "no delay in advancing this crucial measure".

High stakes for fixed-odds sports betting devices

' I lost ₤ 250,000 on sports betting makers'

sports betting maker stakes to be cut to ₤ 2

The federal government has denied Labour claims that MPs had 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 planned to be introduced in April 2020.

But in her resignation letter, Ms Crouch said: "Unfortunately, execution of these modifications 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 announcement to minimize stakes and its execution, over ₤ 1.6 bn will be lost on these machines.

"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 delay is unjustifiable."

She included: "It is a reality of government that ministers must adhere to collective responsibility and can not disagree with policy, let alone when it is policy made versus your desires relating 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 bold" including: "May God bless her commitment to doing right."

Former foreign secretary Boris Johnson tweeted, external that she "deserves big credit not just for her campaign but for sticking up for her principles".

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

Currently, people can wager approximately ₤ 100 every 20 seconds on electronic casino games such as roulette. Anti-gambling campaigners say the machines let gamers lose cash too rapidly, resulting in dependency and social, mental and financial issues.

But bookmakers have alerted the cut in stakes could cause thousands of outlets closing.

In her action to Ms Crouch, the PM stated the federal government had listened to those who desired the modifications to come into result earlier than April 2020 and "had actually concurred that the changes should 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 into force next October at the very same time as modifications to duty charged on gambling firms based abroad however running in the UK.

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

Who is Tracey Crouch?

The 43-year-old MP has actually represented Chatham and Aylesford, in Kent, because 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 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 numerous Tory MPs, including Michael Howard and David Davis before meaning election

She had her very first kid in 2016 and is thought 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 industry".

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

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

Week ahead in Parliament: The Finance Bill
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He told the BBC: "There are a lot of people whose lives have been harmed by this dependency ... We require to do this really quickly, as quickly as we can and in the meantime, the sports betting market will make about ₤ 1bn as an outcome of this hold-up. That's not ideal."

Labour has informed 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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