sports betting Minister Tracey Crouch over 'delay' to wagering crackdown

1 November 2018
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sports betting minister Tracey Crouch has actually resigned over "delays" to a crackdown on maximum stakes for fixed-odds sports betting devices.

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

Ms Crouch said pushing back the date was "unjustifiable" and it could cost the lives of issue gamblers.

She tweeted: "Politicians come and go however principles stay with us permanently."

Prime Minister Theresa May stated she was disappointed Ms Crouch had actually resigned however there had actually been "no hold-up in bringing forward this important measure".

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

sports betting device stakes to be cut to ₤ 2
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The federal government has rejected 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 recommended the cut had actually been planned to be introduced in April 2020.

But in her resignation letter, Ms Crouch stated: "Unfortunately, execution 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

"From the time of the announcement to minimize stakes and its implementation, over ₤ 1.6 bn will be lost on these devices.

"In addition, two people will unfortunately take their lives every day due to gambling-related problems and, because of that as much as any other, I believe this delay is unjustifiable."

She included: "It is a fact of government that ministers need to abide by cumulative duty and can not disagree with policy, not to mention when it is policy made against your dreams 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 courageous" adding: "May God bless her commitment to doing right."

Former foreign secretary Boris Johnson tweeted, external that she "should have big credit not simply for her project but for sticking up for her principles".

Fixed-odds wagering terminals produce ₤ 1.8 bn in profits a year for the wagering industry, according to the Gambling Commission, external, and taxes of ₤ 400m for the federal government.
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Currently, individuals can bet approximately ₤ 100 every 20 seconds on electronic gambling establishment video games such as roulette. Anti-gambling campaigners state the machines let players lose cash too rapidly, leading to dependency and social, psychological and monetary problems.

But bookmakers have warned the cut in stakes could lead to countless outlets closing.

In her reaction to Ms Crouch, the PM stated the federal government had actually listened to those who desired the modifications to come into impact sooner than April 2020 and "had actually concurred that the modifications need to remain in location within the year - by October 2019".

In his Budget on Monday, the chancellor said the modification to fixed-odds stakes would come into force next October at the same time as modifications to duty charged on gaming firms based abroad however running in the UK.

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

Who is Tracey Crouch?
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The 43-year-old MP has represented Chatham and Aylesford, in Kent, given that 2010
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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 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 representing 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 sports betting industry".

He applauded Ms Crouch's "brave and principled decision" and stated Culture Secretary Jeremy Wright "need to 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 stated it must be gone over as part of the Finance Bill later on 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 addiction ... We need to do this really rapidly, as rapidly as we can and in the meantime, the sports betting industry will make about ₤ 1bn as an outcome of this delay. That's wrong."

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