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sports betting Minister Tracey Crouch resigns over 'hold-up' to wagering crackdown

1 November 2018

sports betting minister Tracey Crouch has resigned over "delays" to a crackdown on optimal 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 enter force in October 2019.

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

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

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

High stakes for fixed-odds sports betting makers

' I lost ₤ 250,000 on wagering devices'

sports betting maker stakes to be cut to ₤ 2

The federal government has actually denied Labour claims that MPs had 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 been intended to be introduced in April 2020.

But in her resignation letter, Ms Crouch stated: "Unfortunately, execution of these changes are now being delayed 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 decrease stakes and its implementation, over ₤ 1.6 bn will be lost on these devices.

"In addition, 2 individuals will tragically take their lives every day due to gambling-related issues and, for that reason as much as any other, I believe this delay is unjustifiable."

She included: "It is a fact of federal government that ministers must abide by cumulative obligation and can not disagree with policy, let alone when it is policy made versus your dreams connecting to your own portfolio."

'God bless'
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Among those praising 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 produce ₤ 1.8 bn in earnings a year for the wagering market, according to the Gambling Commission, external, and taxes of ₤ 400m for the federal government.

Currently, individuals can wager approximately ₤ 100 every 20 seconds on electronic gambling establishment video games such as live roulette. Anti-gambling campaigners say the makers let gamers lose cash too rapidly, leading to dependency and social, psychological and financial issues.

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

In her response to Ms Crouch, the PM stated the federal government had listened to those who desired the modifications to come into effect faster than April 2020 and "had concurred that the changes ought to be in place within the year - by October 2019".

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 modifications to duty charged on gambling companies based abroad however running in the UK.

The federal government states co-ordinating the date of the two changes would mean the government would not be hit by a fall in tax earnings.
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Who is Tracey Crouch?

The 43-year-old MP has represented 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 qualified FA coach

Grammar 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 numerous 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 actually been the first Tory minister to take maternity leave

But in the Commons on Thursday, Labour's deputy leader Tom Watson implicated the government of "capitulating to the gaming industry".

He applauded Ms Crouch's "brave and principled choice" and said Culture Secretary Jeremy Wright "need to be thoroughly ashamed" of prioritising "corporate interests over victims, earnings over public health and greed over great".

MPs from all sides of your house participated his criticism. Former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith stated it ought to be discussed as part of the Finance Bill later on this month.
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Week ahead in Parliament: The Finance Bill
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He informed the BBC: "There are plenty of people whose lives have been damaged by this addiction ... We require to do this really rapidly, 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 changes next April.
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