sports betting Minister Tracey Crouch resigns over 'hold-up' to wagering 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 maximum 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 said pressing back the date was "unjustifiable" and it might cost the lives of issue bettors.

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

Prime Minister Theresa May said she was disappointed Ms Crouch had actually resigned however there had been "no hold-up in advancing this crucial step".

High stakes for fixed-odds sports betting machines

' I lost ₤ 250,000 on wagering makers'

sports betting device stakes to be cut to ₤ 2

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

But in her resignation letter, Ms Crouch said: "Unfortunately, execution of these modifications are now being postponed till 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 decrease stakes and its application, over ₤ 1.6 bn will be lost on these machines.

"In addition, 2 people will unfortunately take their lives every day due to gambling-related issues and, for that factor as much as any other, I think this hold-up is unjustifiable."

She included: "It is a truth of government that ministers should comply with cumulative duty and can not disagree with policy, let alone when it is policy made versus 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 brave" including: "May God bless her dedication to doing right."

Former foreign secretary Boris Johnson tweeted, external that she "is worthy of huge credit not simply for her project but for sticking up for her concepts".

Fixed-odds sports betting 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 federal government.

Currently, people can bet approximately ₤ 100 every 20 seconds on electronic gambling establishment games such as live roulette. Anti-gambling campaigners say the machines let gamers lose money too rapidly, causing dependency and social, psychological and financial problems.

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

In her to Ms Crouch, the PM stated the federal government had listened to those who wanted the changes to come into effect sooner than April 2020 and "had concurred that the modifications should be 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 very same time as modifications to responsibility charged on gaming companies based abroad however operating in the UK.

The federal government says co-ordinating the date of the 2 modifications would imply the 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 searching 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 different Tory MPs, including Michael Howard and David Davis before standing for election
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She had her first kid in 2016 and is believed to have been the first Tory minister to take maternity leave
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But in the Commons on Thursday, Labour's deputy leader Tom Watson accused the government of "capitulating to the gaming market".

He praised Ms Crouch's "bold and principled decision" and stated Culture Secretary Jeremy Wright "should be completely embarrassed" of prioritising "business interests over victims, profits over public health and greed over excellent".

MPs from all sides of your house participated in his criticism. Former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith said it must be talked about 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 plenty of people whose lives have actually been harmed by this addiction ... We need to do this really 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 informed the BBC that they will put down a change to the Finance Bill to attempt and generate the modifications next April.