1 Sports Minister Tracey Crouch Resigns over 'Hold-up' To Betting Crackdown
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sports betting Minister Tracey Crouch resigns over 'delay' to sports betting crackdown

1 November 2018

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

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 might cost the lives of problem gamblers.

She tweeted: "Politicians come and go however concepts stay with us forever."

Prime Minister Theresa May stated she was dissatisfied Ms Crouch had actually resigned however there had actually been "no hold-up in bringing forward this crucial step".

High stakes for fixed-odds sports betting devices

' I lost ₤ 250,000 on wagering machines'

sports betting machine stakes to be cut to ₤ 2

The government has denied Labour declares that MPs had been led to think the cut would enter into force at the start of the next tax year, in April 2019. They recommended the cut had been meant to be introduced in April 2020.

But in her resignation letter, Ms Crouch stated: "Unfortunately, execution of these changes 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 lower stakes and its application, over ₤ 1.6 bn will be lost on these machines.

"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 believe this delay is unjustifiable."
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She included: "It is a truth of government that ministers must abide by collective responsibility and can not disagree with policy, let alone when it is policy made against your wishes associating with your own portfolio."
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'God bless'

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

Former foreign secretary Boris Johnson tweeted, external that she "deserves big credit not simply for her campaign but for sticking up for her principles".

Fixed-odds wagering terminals ₤ 1.8 bn in earnings a year for the wagering industry, according to the Gambling Commission, external, and taxes of ₤ 400m for the federal government.

Currently, people can wager up to ₤ 100 every 20 seconds on electronic gambling establishment games such as live roulette. Anti-gambling advocates say the machines let players lose cash too rapidly, resulting in dependency and social, mental and financial problems.

But bookies have alerted the cut in stakes could lead to thousands of outlets closing.

In her action to Ms Crouch, the PM said the federal government had actually listened to those who wanted the changes to come into effect earlier than April 2020 and "had agreed that the changes need to be 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 same time as modifications to responsibility charged on gambling firms based abroad but operating in the UK.

The government says co-ordinating the date of the 2 modifications would mean the government would not be hit by a fall in tax earnings.

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 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 various Tory MPs, consisting of Michael Howard and David Davis before representing election

She had her first kid in 2016 and is believed to have actually been the very first Tory minister to take maternity leave
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But in the Commons on Thursday, Labour's deputy leader Tom Watson accused the federal government of "capitulating to the gambling market".

He praised Ms Crouch's "bold and principled choice" and said Culture Secretary Jeremy Wright "should be completely embarrassed" of prioritising "corporate interests over victims, profits over public health and greed over good".

MPs from all sides of the House participated his criticism. Former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith stated it must be discussed as part of the Finance Bill later this month.

Week ahead in Parliament: The Finance Bill

He told the BBC: "There are plenty of individuals whose lives have been harmed by this dependency ... We require to do this really quickly, as rapidly as we can and in the meantime, the gambling industry will make about ₤ 1bn as an outcome of this delay. That's wrong."

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