Wednesday newspaper round-up: Bookies, water companies, John Lewis

Bookmakers and casinos will be forced to fund NHS services that tackle problem gambling, after Labour rubber-stamped the previous government’s plans, which also include a cap of as little as £2 on the sums that can be staked on online slot machines. The Guardian revealed on Monday that the government was poised to approve the new “statutory levy”, using proceeds of around £100m a year to fund research, prevention and treatment of gambling harms. – Guardian

Water companies in England are using loopholes in order to not pay people who are left for days without running water, the CEO of the regulator has said. Tens of thousands of homes across the country have been left without water for days this year as ageing pipes burst. In May, 32,500 properties in Hastings and St Leonards-on-Sea had no service after a mains pipe burst, with some homes left without running water for five days. In January, households across Reading also faced an interruption to their water supply. – Guardian

Labour is poised to water down electric vehicle (EV) rules amid a mounting crisis in the industry over the pace of the transition away from petrol and diesel cars. Jonathan Reynolds, the Business Secretary, on Tuesday night confirmed a review of the Government’s zero emission vehicle (ZEV) mandate after warnings from carmakers that the rules were putting the industry’s future at risk. – Telegraph

John Lewis has said it is “worried” about the impact of higher employment costs after Rachel Reeves’s decision to increase the National Minimum Wage. In a fresh warning to the Chancellor over measures announced in the Budget, a senior John Lewis director said inflated labour costs were weighing on the department store as it attempts to turn around its fortunes. – Telegraph

More than 1,100 jobs at the historic van-making factory of Vauxhall in Luton are at risk after parent company Stellantis announced it planned to shut the site next April. In a blow to the UK automotive industry, Stellantis said it was in consultation with unions and employees over the proposals. – The Times