sports betting Minister Tracey Crouch resigns over 'hold-up' to sports betting crackdown
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1 November 2018

sports betting minister Tracey Crouch has resigned over "delays" to a on optimal stakes for fixed-odds sports betting devices.

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

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

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

Prime Minister Theresa May said she was disappointed Ms Crouch had resigned however there had been "no hold-up in bringing forward this crucial procedure".

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 actually rejected 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 presented in April 2020.

But in her resignation letter, Ms Crouch said: "Unfortunately, implementation of these modifications are now being postponed up until October 2019 due to dedications 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 reduce stakes and its application, over ₤ 1.6 bn will be lost on these machines.

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

She added: "It is a truth of federal government that ministers must stick to cumulative obligation and can not disagree with policy, not to mention when it is policy made versus your wishes associating with your own portfolio."

'God bless'

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

Former foreign secretary Boris Johnson tweeted, external that she "should have substantial credit not simply for her campaign but 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 advocates say the devices let players lose money too quickly, resulting in addiction and social, psychological and financial issues.
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But bookmakers have warned the cut in stakes could result in countless outlets closing.

In her response to Ms Crouch, the PM said the federal government had listened to those who wanted the modifications to come into effect quicker than April 2020 and "had concurred that the changes should remain 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 duty charged on gaming companies based abroad but operating in the UK.

The government states co-ordinating the date of the two changes would suggest the government would not be hit by a fall in tax revenue.

Who is Tracey Crouch?

The 43-year-old MP has actually represented Chatham and Aylesford, in Kent, because 2010

She was promoted to the front bench as sports betting minister in 2015

She is understood for her opposition to fox hunting 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 worked for different Tory MPs, consisting of Michael Howard and David Davis before representing election

She had her 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 government of "capitulating to the gaming market".

He applauded Ms Crouch's "brave and principled choice" and said Culture Secretary Jeremy Wright "ought to be completely embarrassed" of prioritising "corporate interests over victims, earnings over public health and greed over good".

MPs from all sides of the House participated in his criticism. Former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith said it needs to be discussed 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 lots of individuals whose lives have actually been harmed by this addiction ... We need to do this really rapidly, as quickly as we can and in the meantime, the sports betting industry will make about ₤ 1bn as an outcome of this delay. That's wrong."

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