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


1 November 2018


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


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


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


She tweeted: "Politicians come and go but principles stick with us forever."


Prime Minister Theresa May said she was dissatisfied Ms Crouch had resigned however there had been "no delay in bringing forward this crucial procedure".


High stakes for fixed-odds wagering makers


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


sports betting machine stakes to be cut to ₤ 2


The government has denied Labour claims 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 introduced in April 2020.

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But in her resignation letter, Ms Crouch said: "Unfortunately, implementation of these changes 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

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"From the time of the announcement to reduce stakes and its application, over ₤ 1.6 bn will be lost on these makers.


"In addition, 2 people will tragically 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."

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She included: "It is a fact of government that ministers must abide by collective duty and can not disagree with policy, let alone when it is policy made versus your dreams connecting to 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" including: "May God bless her dedication to doing right."


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


Fixed-odds wagering terminals create ₤ 1.8 bn in income a year for the sports betting 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 video games such as live roulette. Anti-gambling campaigners say the devices let players lose cash too quickly, leading to dependency and social, mental and financial problems.


But bookies have warned the cut in stakes could cause countless outlets closing.


In her action to Ms Crouch, the PM stated the government had listened to those who wanted the modifications to come into result faster than April 2020 and "had agreed that the changes ought to be in location within the year - by October 2019".


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


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


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 understood for her opposition to fox searching and her love of football - she is a qualified 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 different Tory MPs, consisting of Michael Howard and David Davis before meaning election


She had her very first child in 2016 and is believed 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 federal government of "capitulating to the gaming industry".


He applauded Ms Crouch's "courageous and principled choice" and stated Culture Secretary Jeremy Wright "ought to be completely embarrassed" of prioritising "corporate interests over victims, revenues over public health and greed over great".


MPs from all sides of your house participated his criticism. Former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith said it ought to be discussed as part of the Finance Bill later this month.


Week ahead in Parliament: The Finance Bill


He told the BBC: "There are a lot of individuals whose lives have actually been harmed by this dependency ... We require to do this very rapidly, as quickly as we can and in the meantime, the sports betting industry will make about ₤ 1bn as a result of this hold-up. That's wrong."


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

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