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

sports betting minister Tracey Crouch has actually resigned over "hold-ups" to a crackdown on optimal stakes for fixed-odds wagering makers.

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 issue gamblers.

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

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

High stakes for fixed-odds sports betting machines

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

sports betting machine stakes to be cut to ₤ 2
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The government has rejected Labour declares 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 recommended the cut had been intended to be presented in April 2020.

But in her resignation letter, Ms Crouch said: "Unfortunately, execution of these modifications are now being delayed 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 lower stakes and its implementation, over ₤ 1.6 bn will be lost on these machines.

"In addition, 2 people will unfortunately take their lives every day due to gambling-related problems and, because of that as much as any other, I believe this hold-up is unjustifiable."

She included: "It is a truth of government that ministers should comply with collective responsibility 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 praising her on social networks, the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby tweeted, external that she was "principled and courageous" including: "May God bless her dedication to doing right."

Former foreign secretary Boris Johnson tweeted, external that she "deserves big credit not simply for her project however for sticking up for her concepts".

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

Currently, individuals can bet as much as ₤ 100 every 20 seconds on electronic gambling establishment games such as roulette. Anti-gambling campaigners state the devices let gamers lose money too quickly, causing addiction and social, psychological and financial problems.

But bookies have actually warned the cut in stakes could cause thousands of outlets closing.

In her response to Ms Crouch, the PM said the government had actually listened to those who wanted the modifications to come into impact earlier than April 2020 and "had agreed that the modifications ought to be in location 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 very same time as changes to task charged on gambling firms based abroad however operating in the UK.

The government states co-ordinating the date of the two modifications would indicate 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, given that 2010

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

She is known for her opposition to fox hunting and her love of football - she is a competent 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 various Tory MPs, consisting of 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

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

He applauded Ms Crouch's "brave and principled choice" and said Culture Secretary Jeremy Wright "must be thoroughly embarrassed" of prioritising "corporate interests over victims, profits over public health and greed over excellent".

MPs from all sides of the House participated in his criticism. Former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith said it should be talked about as part of the Finance Bill later on this month.

Week ahead in Parliament: The Finance Bill

He told the BBC: "There are plenty of individuals whose lives have actually been harmed by this addiction ... We need to do this extremely rapidly, as rapidly as we can and in the meantime, the gaming market will make about ₤ 1bn as a result of this hold-up. That's wrong."

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