1 Sports Minister Tracey Crouch Resigns over 'Hold-up' To Betting Crackdown
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sports betting Minister Tracey Crouch resigns over 'delay' to wagering crackdown

1 November 2018

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

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 pushing back the date was "unjustifiable" and it might cost the lives of problem gamblers.

She tweeted: "Politicians come and go however concepts remain with us forever."

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

High stakes for fixed-odds wagering devices

' I lost ₤ 250,000 on wagering devices'

sports betting maker stakes to be cut to ₤ 2
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The federal government has rejected Labour declares that MPs had been led to believe the cut would enter into force at the start of the next tax year, in April 2019. They suggested the cut had actually been meant to be introduced in April 2020.

But in her resignation letter, Ms Crouch stated: "Unfortunately, implementation of these modifications are now being delayed 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 machines.

"In addition, two individuals 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 added: "It is a reality of federal government that ministers need to comply with cumulative obligation 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 media, 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 huge credit not simply for her project however for sticking up for her concepts".

Fixed-odds wagering terminals create ₤ 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 casino games such as live roulette. Anti-gambling campaigners state the devices let gamers lose money too quickly, leading to addiction and social, psychological and financial issues.

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

In her response to Ms Crouch, the PM said the government had listened to those who desired the modifications to come into than April 2020 and "had agreed that the modifications must be in place within the year - by October 2019".

In his Budget on Monday, the chancellor said the modification to fixed-odds stakes would enter force next October at the exact same time as modifications to responsibility charged on gaming firms based abroad but operating in the UK.

The government says co-ordinating the date of the two changes would mean the government would not be struck by a fall in tax income.

Who is Tracey Crouch?

The 43-year-old MP has represented Chatham and Aylesford, in Kent, because 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 certified FA coach
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Grammar 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 different Tory MPs, consisting of Michael Howard and David Davis before standing for election
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She had her first child 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 implicated the government of "capitulating to the sports betting market".
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He applauded Ms Crouch's "bold and principled decision" and said Culture Secretary Jeremy Wright "ought to be completely embarrassed" of prioritising "business interests over victims, revenues over public health and greed over great".
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MPs from all sides of your house participated 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
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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 delay. That's not ideal."

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