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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 actually resigned over "delays" to a crackdown on optimal stakes for fixed-odds sports betting machines.
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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 stated pushing back the date was "unjustifiable" and it could cost the lives of issue bettors.

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

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

High stakes for fixed-odds wagering devices

' I lost ₤ 250,000 on wagering machines'

sports betting maker stakes to be cut to ₤ 2

The federal government has denied Labour claims that MPs had been led to think the cut would enter force at the start of the next tax year, in April 2019. They suggested the cut had been planned to be presented in April 2020.

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

"In addition, two individuals will unfortunately take their lives every day due to gambling-related problems and, because of that as much as any other, I believe this delay is unjustifiable."
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She included: "It is a fact of government that ministers must stick to cumulative duty and can not disagree with policy, let alone when it is policy made against your desires 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 brave" adding: "May God bless her dedication to doing right."

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

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

Currently, individuals can bet up to ₤ 100 every 20 seconds on electronic casino video games such as live roulette. Anti-gambling campaigners state the devices let players lose money too rapidly, resulting in dependency and social, mental and financial problems.

But bookies have cautioned the cut in stakes might lead to countless outlets closing.

In her reaction to Ms Crouch, the PM stated the federal government had actually listened to those who wanted the changes 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 enter into force next October at the same time as changes to duty charged on gaming companies based abroad however running in the UK.

The federal government says co-ordinating the date of the two modifications would indicate the federal government would not be hit by a fall in tax income.

Who is Tracey Crouch?
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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 hunting and her love of football - she is a competent 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 actually worked for various Tory MPs, including Michael Howard and David Davis before representing election

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

He praised Ms "courageous and principled choice" and stated Culture Secretary Jeremy Wright "need to be completely embarrassed" of prioritising "corporate interests over victims, profits over public health and greed over great".

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

Week ahead in Parliament: The Finance Bill

He informed the BBC: "There are a lot of individuals whose lives have been harmed by this addiction ... We require to do this really quickly, as rapidly as we can and in the meantime, the gaming market will make about ₤ 1bn as an outcome of this delay. That's not ideal."

Labour has informed the BBC that they will put down a change to the Finance Bill to try and bring in the modifications next April.