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sports betting Minister Tracey Crouch resigns over 'hold-up' to sports betting crackdown
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1 November 2018
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sports betting minister Tracey Crouch has resigned over "hold-ups" to a crackdown on optimal stakes for fixed-odds sports betting machines.

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 issue bettors.

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

Prime Minister Theresa May stated she was dissatisfied Ms Crouch had actually resigned but there had actually been "no delay in advancing this essential procedure".

High stakes for fixed-odds sports betting machines

' I lost ₤ 250,000 on wagering machines'

sports betting device stakes to be cut to ₤ 2

The government has actually denied 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 recommended the cut had actually been intended to be introduced in April 2020.

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

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End of twitter post by Tracey Crouch

"From the time of the statement to decrease stakes and its execution, over ₤ 1.6 bn will be lost on these devices.

"In addition, 2 people will tragically take their lives every day due to gambling-related issues and, for that reason 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 stick to cumulative responsibility and can not disagree with policy, let alone when it is policy made against your desires associating with your own portfolio."

'God bless'

Among those applauding her on social media, the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby tweeted, external that she was "principled and brave" adding: "May God bless her dedication to doing right."

Former foreign secretary Boris Johnson tweeted, external that she "deserves huge credit not simply for her campaign however for sticking up for her concepts".

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

Currently, individuals can wager up to ₤ 100 every 20 seconds on electronic gambling establishment games such as live roulette. Anti-gambling advocates say the devices let gamers lose money too rapidly, leading to addiction and social, mental and financial issues.

But bookies have warned the cut in stakes might cause thousands of outlets closing.

In her to Ms Crouch, the PM said the federal government had listened to those who desired the changes to come into result earlier than April 2020 and "had actually agreed that the modifications should remain in location within the year - by October 2019".

In his Budget on Monday, the chancellor stated the change to fixed-odds stakes would enter force next October at the exact same time as changes to task charged on gambling firms based abroad however operating in the UK.

The government states co-ordinating the date of the 2 changes would imply 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, considering 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 qualified FA coach

Grammar 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, including Michael Howard and David Davis before meaning election

She had her very first child in 2016 and is believed to have been the 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 applauded Ms Crouch's "courageous and principled decision" and said Culture Secretary Jeremy Wright "must be completely ashamed" 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 said it should be talked about as part of the Finance Bill later this month.

Week ahead in Parliament: The Finance Bill
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He told the BBC: "There are a lot of individuals whose lives have actually been damaged by this addiction ... We require to do this very quickly, as rapidly as we can and in the meantime, the gaming 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 modification to the Finance Bill to attempt and bring in the modifications next April.