Thursday newspaper round-up: Online gamblers, PwC, London taxi drivers
Online gamblers who lose £500 or more a month are to face extra checks from August, the regulator has confirmed, as part of a large package of measures aimed at protecting the most vulnerable customers. The extra checks come in from 30 August, and the threshold for qualifying will fall to £150 of online betting losses a month from 28 February next year, the Gambling Commission said. – Guardian
Labour is facing criticism over plans for a loophole that would allow employees to work under zero-hours contracts, despite the party having pledged to ban them entirely. Keir Starmer’s party is preparing to announce details of its promise to overhaul workers’ rights if it gets into power – a centrepiece of its early plans for government, but subject to fierce lobbying from businesses. – Guardian
PwC is facing a backlash from its own staff amid allegations that Middle Eastern partners prevented the appointment of a woman as the firm’s new boss. Senior partners in London are understood to believe that voters at the firm’s offices in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and other parts of the Middle East played a decisive role in the victory of Marco Amitrano over his two female rivals. – Telegraph
Thousands of London taxi drivers have launched a £250m lawsuit against Uber, claiming the minicab app illegally obtained a licence to operate in London. More than 10,000 cabbies have signed up to the lawsuit, which lawyers claim could result in compensation of £25,000 per driver. The High Court claim comes just weeks after Uber sought to bury a long-running battle with black cab drivers by allowing them to accept rides through its app. – Telegraph
A row over a plan by the City regulator to “name and shame” companies under investigation has intensified after Lord Tyrie, a City grandee, defended the watchdog in the face of criticism from the chancellor. The Financial Conduct Authority has been under intense pressure over the proposal, which would mark a significant departure from its current approach of almost always keeping investigations secret. – The Times