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sports betting Minister Tracey Crouch resigns over 'delay' to sports betting crackdown
1 November 2018
sports betting minister Tracey Crouch has actually resigned over "delays" to a crackdown on maximum stakes for fixed-odds sports betting machines.
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 said pressing back the date was "unjustifiable" and it could cost the lives of issue bettors.
She tweeted: "Politicians come and go but concepts stick with us permanently."
Prime Minister Theresa May stated she was disappointed Ms Crouch had resigned but there had been "no hold-up in advancing this crucial measure".
High stakes for fixed-odds wagering devices
' I lost ₤ 250,000 on wagering devices'
sports betting maker stakes to be cut to ₤ 2
The federal government has actually denied Labour claims that MPs had been led to think the cut would enter into force at the start of the next tax year, in April 2019. They suggested the cut had actually been planned to be introduced in April 2020.
But in her resignation letter, Ms Crouch said: "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 announcement to lower stakes and its implementation, over ₤ 1.6 bn will be lost on these machines.
"In addition, two people will unfortunately take their lives every day due to gambling-related issues and, because of that as much as any other, I believe this delay is unjustifiable."
She included: "It is a truth of government that ministers need to abide by cumulative responsibility and can not disagree with policy, not to mention when it is policy made against your wishes 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" adding: "May God bless her commitment to doing right."
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 sports betting terminals create ₤ 1.8 bn in revenue a year for the sports betting industry, according to the Gambling Commission, external, and taxes of ₤ 400m for the federal government.
Currently, people can wager as much as ₤ 100 every 20 seconds on electronic casino games such as roulette. Anti-gambling campaigners state the machines let players lose cash too rapidly, leading to dependency and social, mental and monetary problems.
But bookmakers have actually alerted the cut in stakes could lead to thousands of outlets closing.
In her response to Ms Crouch, the PM stated the federal government had actually listened to those who desired the modifications to come into result sooner than April 2020 and "had concurred that the modifications should remain 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 same time as changes to duty charged on gaming companies based abroad however running in the UK.
The government states co-ordinating the date of the 2 modifications would suggest the federal government would not be struck by a fall in tax earnings.
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 understood for her opposition to fox hunting and her love of football - she is a qualified 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, consisting of Michael Howard and David Davis before standing for election
She had her very first kid 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 accused the federal government of "capitulating to the gaming market".
He applauded Ms Crouch's "brave and principled decision" and stated Culture Secretary Jeremy Wright "need to be thoroughly embarrassed" of prioritising "business interests over victims, earnings over public health and greed over great".
MPs from all sides of your home took part his criticism. Former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith stated it must be gone over as part of the Finance Bill later on this month.
Week ahead in Parliament: The Finance Bill
He informed the BBC: "There are lots of people whose lives have been harmed by this addiction ... We need to do this extremely quickly, as rapidly as we can and in the meantime, the gaming industry will make about ₤ 1bn as an outcome of this delay. That's wrong."
Labour has told the BBC that they will put down a modification to the Finance Bill to try and generate the modifications next April.
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