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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 resigned over "hold-ups" to a crackdown 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 enter into force in October 2019.

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

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

Prime Minister Theresa May said she was dissatisfied Ms Crouch had actually resigned but there had actually been "no delay in advancing this crucial step".

High stakes for fixed-odds wagering makers

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

sports betting device stakes to be cut to ₤ 2

The federal government has denied Labour claims that MPs had been led to believe the cut would come into force at the start of the next tax year, in April 2019. They suggested the cut had been meant to be introduced in April 2020.

But in her resignation letter, Ms Crouch said: "Unfortunately, application of these changes are now being delayed till 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 decrease stakes and its application, over ₤ 1.6 bn will be lost on these machines.

"In addition, 2 individuals will unfortunately take their lives every day due to gambling-related issues and, because of that as much as any other, I think this delay is unjustifiable."

She included: "It is a fact of government that ministers should abide by collective duty and can not disagree with policy, not to mention when it is policy made versus your desires associating with 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 "deserves substantial credit not simply for her campaign however for sticking up for her principles".

Fixed-odds wagering terminals produce ₤ 1.8 bn in income a year for the wagering 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 casino video games such as roulette. Anti-gambling campaigners say the machines let players lose cash too rapidly, resulting in addiction and social, psychological and financial issues.

But bookies have warned the cut in stakes might result in countless outlets closing.

In her reaction to Ms Crouch, the PM said the federal government had listened to those who wanted the changes to come into impact earlier than April 2020 and "had actually concurred that the changes need to remain in place within the year - by October 2019".

In his Budget on Monday, the chancellor stated the change to fixed-odds stakes would enter 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 2 modifications would indicate the government would not be struck by a fall in tax income.

Who is Tracey Crouch?

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

Grade school educated at for Girls, she went on to get a degree in law and politics from Hull University

She had worked for numerous Tory MPs, including Michael Howard and David Davis before standing for election

She had her first kid in 2016 and is believed to have actually 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 sports betting industry".

He praised Ms Crouch's "courageous and principled decision" and stated Culture Secretary Jeremy Wright "ought to be thoroughly ashamed" of prioritising "business interests over victims, profits over public health and greed over good".

MPs from all sides of your house participated his criticism. Former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith stated it must be talked about as part of the Finance Bill later on this month.

Week ahead in Parliament: The Finance Bill
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He told the BBC: "There are lots of individuals whose lives have been damaged by this dependency ... We need to do this extremely rapidly, as quickly as we can and in the meantime, the sports betting industry will make about ₤ 1bn as an outcome of this hold-up. That's wrong."

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