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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 resigned over "delays" to a crackdown on maximum 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 pushing back the date was "unjustifiable" and it could cost the lives of problem gamblers.
She tweeted: "Politicians reoccur however principles stick with us permanently."
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Prime Minister Theresa May stated she was disappointed Ms Crouch had actually resigned however there had actually been "no hold-up in bringing forward this important step".
High stakes for fixed-odds wagering devices
' I lost ₤ 250,000 on wagering devices'
sports betting device stakes to be cut to ₤ 2
The federal government has rejected Labour declares 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 recommended the cut had been planned to be introduced in April 2020.
But in her resignation letter, Ms Crouch stated: "Unfortunately, execution 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 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 problems and, because of that as much as any other, I think this hold-up is unjustifiable."
She added: "It is a fact of government that ministers need to follow collective obligation and can not disagree with policy, not to mention when it is policy made against your wishes connecting to your own portfolio."
'God bless'
Among those applauding her on social networks, the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby tweeted, external that she was "principled and bold" including: "May God bless her commitment to doing right."
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Former foreign secretary Boris Johnson tweeted, external that she "is worthy of huge credit not simply for her project but for sticking up for her principles".
Fixed-odds wagering terminals produce ₤ 1.8 bn in earnings a year for the sports betting industry, according to the Gambling Commission, external, and taxes of ₤ 400m for the government.
Currently, people can wager as much as ₤ 100 every 20 seconds on electronic gambling establishment games such as live roulette. Anti-gambling campaigners say the devices let players lose money too quickly, causing addiction and social, mental and monetary issues.
But bookies have actually alerted the cut in stakes could result in countless outlets closing.
In her response to Ms Crouch, the PM stated the federal government had actually listened to those who the changes to come into result earlier than April 2020 and "had actually agreed that the changes need to remain in location 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 changes to duty charged on sports betting firms based abroad however operating in the UK.
The government says co-ordinating the date of the two modifications would suggest the federal government would not be hit by a fall in tax profits.
Who is Tracey Crouch?
The 43-year-old MP has represented Chatham and Aylesford, in Kent, considering that 2010
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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 certified FA coach
Grade school informed at Folkestone School 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 meaning election
She had her first kid in 2016 and is believed to have been the 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 sports betting market".
He applauded Ms Crouch's "courageous and principled decision" and said Culture Secretary Jeremy Wright "need to be completely embarrassed" of prioritising "business 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
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He told the BBC: "There are a lot of people 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 sports betting market will make about ₤ 1bn as an outcome of this hold-up. That's not right."
Labour has told the BBC that they will put down an amendment to the Finance Bill to try and bring in the modifications next April.
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Sports Minister Tracey Crouch Resigns over 'Delay' To Betting Crackdown
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