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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 "delays" to a crackdown on optimal stakes for fixed-odds wagering machines.

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

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

She tweeted: "Politicians reoccur but concepts stick with us permanently."

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

High stakes for fixed-odds sports betting devices

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

sports betting machine 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 been meant to be introduced in April 2020.

But in her resignation letter, Ms Crouch stated: "Unfortunately, implementation of these changes are now being delayed till 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 and its implementation, over ₤ 1.6 bn will be lost on these machines.

"In addition, two people 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."
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She included: "It is a reality of government that ministers must adhere to collective obligation and can not disagree with policy, not to mention when it is policy made against your desires associating with 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 brave" including: "May God bless her dedication to doing right."

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

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

Currently, people can wager up to ₤ 100 every 20 seconds on electronic gambling establishment games such as roulette. Anti-gambling advocates state the devices let gamers lose cash too quickly, causing addiction and social, mental and monetary issues.

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

In her action to Ms Crouch, the PM said the government had actually listened to those who wanted the modifications to come into impact earlier than April 2020 and "had concurred that the modifications ought to be 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 very same time as modifications to duty charged on gaming companies based abroad but running in the UK.

The government states co-ordinating the date of the 2 modifications would indicate the federal government would not be hit by a fall in tax income.

Who is Tracey Crouch?

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

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

She is understood for her opposition to fox searching 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 numerous Tory MPs, including Michael Howard and David Davis before representing election

She had her very 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 accused the government of "capitulating to the gaming industry".

He applauded Ms Crouch's "courageous and principled decision" and stated Culture Secretary Jeremy Wright "must be completely ashamed" of prioritising "business interests over victims, earnings over public health and greed over great".

MPs from all sides of your house participated in his criticism. Former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith said it should be gone over as part of the Finance Bill later this month.
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Week ahead in Parliament: The Finance Bill

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 gambling market will make about ₤ 1bn as a result of this hold-up. That's wrong."

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