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sports betting Minister Tracey Crouch resigns over ‘hold-up’ to sports betting crackdown
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1 November 2018

sports betting minister Tracey Crouch has resigned over “hold-ups” to a crackdown on maximum stakes for fixed-odds wagering makers.

Chancellor Philip Hammond said in Monday’s Budget that the cut in stakes from ₤ 100 to ₤ 2 would enter into force in October 2019.

Ms Crouch stated pressing back the date was “unjustifiable” and it could cost the lives of issue gamblers.

She tweeted: “Politicians reoccur but principles stay with us forever.”

Prime Minister Theresa May stated she was disappointed Ms Crouch had actually resigned but there had actually been “no delay in bringing forward this important measure”.

High stakes for fixed-odds wagering makers

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

sports betting machine stakes to be cut to ₤ 2

The federal government has denied Labour declares that MPs had 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 actually been intended to be introduced in April 2020.

But in her resignation letter, Ms Crouch stated: “Unfortunately, execution of these changes are now being postponed up until October 2019 due to commitments made by others to those with registered interests.

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End of twitter post by Tracey Crouch

“From the time of the to lower stakes and its application, over ₤ 1.6 bn will be lost on these devices.

“In addition, 2 people will unfortunately take their lives every day due to gambling-related issues and, for that factor as much as any other, I believe this hold-up is unjustifiable.”

She included: “It is a fact of federal government that ministers must stick to cumulative duty and can not disagree with policy, let alone when it is policy made versus your desires relating to 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 brave” including: “May God bless her commitment to doing right.”

Former foreign secretary Boris Johnson tweeted, external that she “deserves huge credit not just for her campaign however for sticking up for her concepts”.

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

Currently, people can bet approximately ₤ 100 every 20 seconds on electronic gambling establishment video games such as roulette. Anti-gambling campaigners say the devices let players lose cash too quickly, leading to dependency and social, mental and monetary issues.

But bookmakers have cautioned the cut in stakes might result in countless outlets closing.

In her response to Ms Crouch, the PM said the federal government had listened to those who wanted the modifications to come into effect sooner than April 2020 and “had actually agreed that the modifications should be in location within the year - by October 2019”.

In his Budget on Monday, the chancellor stated the modification to fixed-odds stakes would enter force next October at the very same time as changes to responsibility charged on gaming firms based abroad however running in the UK.

The federal government states co-ordinating the date of the 2 modifications would suggest 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, considering 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 certified 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, including Michael Howard and David Davis before meaning election

She had her very first kid in 2016 and is believed to have actually 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 gambling market”.

He applauded Ms Crouch’s “brave and principled decision” and stated Culture Secretary Jeremy Wright “need to be thoroughly ashamed” of prioritising “business interests over victims, earnings over public health and greed over good”.

MPs from all sides of the House participated in his criticism. Former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith said it ought to be talked about 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 lots of people whose lives have actually been damaged by this dependency … We need to do this very rapidly, as rapidly as we can and in the meantime, the gaming industry will make about ₤ 1bn as a result of this delay. That’s not best.”

Labour has actually told the BBC that they will put down an amendment to the Finance Bill to attempt and bring in the modifications next April.
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