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

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

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

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

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

Prime Minister Theresa May stated she was dissatisfied Ms Crouch had resigned but there had actually been "no hold-up in advancing this important measure".

High stakes for fixed-odds sports betting machines

' I lost ₤ 250,000 on wagering machines'

sports betting machine stakes to be cut to ₤ 2

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

But in her resignation letter, Ms Crouch stated: "Unfortunately, implementation of these changes are now being postponed 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 announcement to minimize stakes and its application, over ₤ 1.6 bn will be lost on these makers.

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

She added: "It is a reality of government that ministers should adhere to collective responsibility and can not disagree with policy, not to mention when it is policy made versus your desires relating to your own portfolio."

'God bless'

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

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

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

Currently, people can wager up to ₤ 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, leading to dependency and social, psychological and financial issues.

But bookies have alerted the cut in stakes might cause countless outlets closing.

In her response to Ms Crouch, the PM said the federal government had actually listened to those who wanted the modifications to come into effect quicker than April 2020 and "had actually agreed that the changes should be in place within the year - by October 2019".

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

The government states co-ordinating the date of the two changes would indicate the federal government would not be struck by a fall in tax earnings.

Who is Tracey Crouch?

The 43-year-old MP has actually represented Chatham and Aylesford, in Kent, given that 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 competent FA coach

Grade 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 numerous Tory MPs, including Michael Howard and David Davis before representing election

She had her 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 federal government of "capitulating to the sports betting industry".

He praised Ms Crouch's "brave and principled decision" and stated Culture Secretary Jeremy Wright "must be completely ashamed" of prioritising "business interests over victims, revenues over public health and greed over good".

MPs from all sides of your house joined in his criticism. Former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith said it should be discussed 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 people whose lives have actually been damaged by this dependency ... We require to do this very quickly, as rapidly as we can and in the meantime, the gambling industry will make about ₤ 1bn as an outcome of this delay. That's not ideal."

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