sports betting Minister Tracey Crouch resigns over 'delay' to sports betting crackdown
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1 November 2018
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sports betting minister Tracey Crouch has actually 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 into force in October 2019.

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

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

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

High stakes for fixed-odds wagering machines

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

sports betting device stakes to be cut to ₤ 2

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 suggested the cut had been intended to be introduced in April 2020.

But in her resignation letter, Ms Crouch said: "Unfortunately, application of these changes are now being delayed until 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 statement to decrease stakes and its implementation, over ₤ 1.6 bn will be lost on these makers.

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

She added: "It is a fact of government that ministers should adhere to collective obligation and can not disagree with policy, let alone when it is policy made versus your wishes 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 bold" adding: "May God bless her commitment to doing right."

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

Fixed-odds wagering terminals create ₤ 1.8 bn in profits a year for the sports betting market, according to the Gambling Commission, external, and taxes of ₤ 400m for the federal government.
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Currently, individuals can bet as much as ₤ 100 every 20 seconds on electronic casino video games such as roulette. Anti-gambling advocates say the makers let gamers lose cash too rapidly, resulting in addiction and social, mental and monetary issues.

But bookmakers have cautioned the cut in stakes might lead to thousands of outlets closing.

In her response to Ms Crouch, the PM stated the federal government had actually listened to those who wanted the changes to come into effect quicker than April 2020 and "had actually agreed that the modifications ought 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 changes to task charged on sports betting companies based abroad but running in the UK.

The federal government says co-ordinating the date of the 2 modifications would imply the government would not be struck by a fall in tax income.

Who is Tracey Crouch?

The 43-year-old MP has represented Chatham and Aylesford, in Kent, given 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 competent FA 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 actually worked for various Tory MPs, consisting of Michael Howard and David Davis before representing 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 accused the of "capitulating to the gambling industry".

He applauded Ms Crouch's "brave and principled choice" and said Culture Secretary Jeremy Wright "should be completely ashamed" of prioritising "corporate interests over victims, profits 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 ought to be gone over as part of the Finance Bill later on this month.

Week ahead in Parliament: The Finance Bill

He informed the BBC: "There are lots of people whose lives have actually been damaged by this dependency ... We require to do this really quickly, as quickly as we can and in the meantime, the gaming industry will make about ₤ 1bn as an outcome of this delay. That's wrong."

Labour has told the BBC that they will put down a modification to the Finance Bill to try and generate the modifications next April.
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