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sports betting Minister Tracey Crouch resigns over 'delay' to wagering crackdown
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1 November 2018

Tracey Crouch has actually 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 come into force in October 2019.

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

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

Prime Minister Theresa May stated she was dissatisfied Ms Crouch had actually resigned however there had been "no delay in advancing this essential step".

High stakes for fixed-odds wagering makers

' I lost ₤ 250,000 on wagering makers'

sports betting device stakes to be cut to ₤ 2

The government has actually 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 suggested the cut had actually been meant to be introduced in April 2020.

But in her resignation letter, Ms Crouch said: "Unfortunately, application of these changes are now being postponed till October 2019 due to dedications made by others to those with registered interests.

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End of twitter post by Tracey Crouch

"From the time of the statement to minimize stakes and its execution, over ₤ 1.6 bn will be lost on these devices.

"In addition, two 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 added: "It is a fact of federal government that ministers need to follow cumulative obligation and can not disagree with policy, let alone when it is policy made versus your wishes connecting to your own portfolio."

'God bless'

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

Former foreign secretary Boris Johnson tweeted, external that she "is worthy of huge credit not just for her project but for sticking up for her principles".

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

Currently, individuals can wager as much as ₤ 100 every 20 seconds on electronic gambling establishment games such as roulette. Anti-gambling advocates say the makers let players lose cash too quickly, causing addiction and social, psychological and monetary issues.

But bookies have alerted the cut in stakes might cause countless outlets closing.

In her response to Ms Crouch, the PM said the federal government had actually listened to those who desired the modifications to come into impact faster 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 come into force next October at the same time as changes to task charged on gaming companies based abroad however running in the UK.

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

Who is Tracey Crouch?

The 43-year-old MP has actually represented Chatham and Aylesford, in Kent, considering that 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 competent 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 numerous Tory MPs, including Michael Howard and David Davis before representing election

She had her first child in 2016 and is thought 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 gambling market".

He praised Ms Crouch's "bold and principled choice" and stated Culture Secretary Jeremy Wright "ought to be thoroughly embarrassed" of prioritising "corporate 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 needs to be discussed as part of the Finance Bill later on 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 require to do this extremely rapidly, as rapidly as we can and in the meantime, the gambling industry will make about ₤ 1bn as a result 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.