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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 actually resigned over "hold-ups" to a crackdown on maximum stakes for fixed-odds sports betting makers.

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 stated pressing back the date was "unjustifiable" and it could cost the lives of problem 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 delay in advancing this important measure".

High stakes for fixed-odds sports betting devices

' I lost ₤ 250,000 on wagering machines'

sports betting maker stakes to be cut to ₤ 2

The government has denied Labour claims that MPs had been led to think the cut would come into force at the start of the next tax year, in April 2019. They recommended the cut had 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 signed up interests.

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End of twitter post by Tracey Crouch

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

"In addition, two individuals will tragically take their lives every day due to gambling-related problems and, for that factor as much as any other, I think this delay is unjustifiable."

She added: "It is a fact of government that ministers must comply with cumulative responsibility and can not disagree with policy, let alone when it is policy made against your desires associating with 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 bold" including: "May God bless her dedication to doing right."

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

Fixed-odds wagering terminals generate ₤ 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.

Currently, individuals can bet as much as ₤ 100 every 20 seconds on electronic casino video games such as roulette. Anti-gambling campaigners say the makers let players lose money too quickly, resulting in addiction and social, psychological and .

But bookies have alerted the cut in stakes might result in thousands of outlets closing.

In her response to Ms Crouch, the PM said the federal government had actually listened to those who desired the modifications to come into result quicker than April 2020 and "had actually concurred that the changes should be in location within the year - by October 2019".
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In his Budget on Monday, the chancellor said the change to fixed-odds stakes would come into force next October at the exact same time as changes to responsibility charged on sports betting companies based abroad but running in the UK.
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The federal government says co-ordinating the date of the two changes would imply the government would not be hit by a fall in tax income.

Who is Tracey Crouch?

The 43-year-old MP has represented Chatham and Aylesford, in Kent, considering 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 searching and her love of football - she is a qualified 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 different Tory MPs, consisting of Michael Howard and David Davis before representing election

She had her first kid 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 federal government of "capitulating to the sports betting market".

He praised Ms Crouch's "bold and principled decision" and stated Culture Secretary Jeremy Wright "must be thoroughly ashamed" of prioritising "corporate interests over victims, profits over public health and greed over excellent".

MPs from all sides of your home joined in his criticism. Former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith said it ought to be gone over as part of the Finance Bill later this month.

Week ahead in Parliament: The Finance Bill
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He informed the BBC: "There are plenty of individuals whose lives have actually been damaged by this addiction ... We require to do this very rapidly, as rapidly as we can and in the meantime, the gambling industry will make about ₤ 1bn as a result of this hold-up. That's wrong."

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