Taichi Tech fined £170,000 for unfair terms and conditions
Taichi Tech Limited, trading as Fafabet, will also have to undergo a third-party audit to ensure it has effective anti-money laundering and safer gambling procedures, the Gambling Commission said.
An investigation found that Taichi Tech's terms claimed that it had 'the right at their own discretion to close accounts or forfeit winnings'.
The regulator concluded that the firm breached the 'fair and open' licensing condition by including a discretionary term allowing the operator to close customer accounts or forfeit winnings without clear justification.
The investigation also found failures relating to anti-money laundering and social responsibility breaches.
These included allowing some customers to gamble large sums within a short period of time and providing insufficient interaction despite 'high-velocity' spending over short periods.
Gambling Commission director of enforcement and intelligence John Pierce said: 'We expect all operators, regardless of their size or customer base, to comply with consumer protection legislation and ensure their terms and conditions meet regulatory standards.
'Licensed operators must ensure their terms are clear, fair, and transparent, so customers fully understand what to expect.'
The firm had acknowledged that it previously fell short of the standards expected by the Commission and had taken steps to address the shortcomings, the commission said.
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Associated Press
29 minutes ago
- Associated Press
How a tear or two spooked markets and dominated UK's political narrative
LONDON (AP) — The weekly session in which the British prime minister is questioned by lawmakers in Parliament can be an ordeal for the government leader. For Cabinet members, it's usually simply a matter of backing their boss. But on Wednesday the spotlight ended up on Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves during the Prime Minister's Questions session because it became evident that she was crying as she sat beside Prime Minister Keir Starmer. It's not known what triggered the tears, later said to have been personal. They came as Starmer sought to fend off attacks that his year-old government was losing its authority and that he was about to fire Reeves to regain the initiative. Markets spooked Traders got spooked, with the interest rate charged on the U.K.'s 10-year benchmark bond in the markets up sharply, and the pound down. The moves were a sign investors had lost confidence in U.K. financial assets. Reeves had become associated with fiscal discipline, in particular a rule of covering day-to-day government spending with tax revenue, said Andrew Wishart, an economist at Berenberg Bank. 'The markets are concerned that if the Chancellor goes, such fiscal discipline would follow her out of the door,' he added. With Starmer insisting Thursday that Reeves would remain in post, the markets calmed down. Prime minister's weekly ordeal Prime Minister's Questions, or PMQs, can come as close to a gladiatorial contest as is possible in a modern legislative chamber. Very little deference is given to the man or woman holding the highest office in the land. The prime minister is considered the first among equals. Like all other members of Parliament, the prime minister represents one of 650 constituencies. And nowhere is that shared connection more noticeable than at noon every Wednesday in the House of Commons. Starmer stands for half an hour every week to be quizzed by friends and foes. He may get soft balls, but there's always a potential zinger around the corner. The leader of the biggest opposition party, currently the Conservative Party's Kemi Badenoch, has the best chance to knock the prime minister off course. With six questions, she can lay traps and go for the jugular. Typically it's more theater than substance, and the weekly shouting match is consistently the most-watched parliamentary event, viewed around the world, including on C-Span in the United States. This week was fraught This week's session appeared to have more at stake than usual following a chaotic run-up to a welfare reform bill. With scores of Labour lawmakers opposed, Starmer was forced to scrap key planks of the bill — at a cost, politically and economically. For a prime minister, with one of the biggest majorities in history, it was a sign of weakness. Many Labour MPs blame Reeves, for her rigid adherence to her budget rules. As usual, Starmer was flanked to his left by Reeves, who didn't look her usual self, clearly bloated around the eyes. Badenoch showed little mercy, describing Reeves as 'absolutely miserable' and a 'human shield' for Starmer. She asked Starmer whether he could repeat a pledge that Reeves would stay in her post until the general election, which has to take place by the middle of 2029. While praising Reeves' handling of the economy, Starmer didn't give that assurance, and it was around this point that Reeves wiped away a tear. 'How awful for the Chancellor that he couldn't confirm that she would stay in place,' Badenoch responded. The immediate political aftermath Starmer's Downing Street operation faced questions over Reeves' teary appearance. Could it have been hay fever? Had Starmer told Reeves she would be fired for the government's recent woes, which has seen Labour's approval ratings slide? Starmer's press spokesman said it was a 'personal matter,' insisted Reeves was 'going nowhere' and had the prime minister's 'full backing.' Later, Starmer told the BBC that Reeves would be Chancellor for a 'very long time' and that it was 'absolutely wrong' to suggest her distress was related to the welfare U-turn. A day on Images of Reeves' agitated state were emblazoned across newspapers and remained a key item on the news agenda. Starmer repeated on Thursday that Reeves would remain Chancellor 'for years to come' and sought to explain why he hadn't comforted Reeves during PMQs. 'In PMQs, it is bang, bang, bang,' he said at an event where he and Reeves hugged. 'That's what it was yesterday and therefore I was probably the last to appreciate anything going on in the chamber.' Reeves appeared more like her usual self. 'People saw I was upset, but that was yesterday,' she told Sky News. 'I guess the thing that is different from my job and many of your viewers is that when I'm having a tough day, it's on the telly.'


Fast Company
40 minutes ago
- Fast Company
Leaders, here's how to close the gap between your words and actions
It's one thing to declare, 'We care about our people.' It's entirely different to prove it in messy, unscripted moments, especially when no one is watching. Too often, corporate messaging about empathy and respect falters under pressure. We proclaim well-being, then demand overtime. We champion inclusion, then maintain biased systems. We insist on dignity, then terminate employees over Zoom. This disconnect, which I call corporate message incongruency, erodes trust, corrodes culture, and ultimately undermines everyone's performance. The Cost of Incongruency When organizations fail to live up to their own rhetoric, employees notice, and they don't stay quiet about it. A 2024 study found that perceiving corporate hypocrisy (characterized by gaps between stated values and actual behavior) is strongly linked to increased employee cynicism, disengagement, and a higher risk of turnover. Meanwhile, only 23% of workers worldwide are engaged in their work, according to Gallup—meaning the vast majority are either emotionally detached or actively disengaged. Executives often overestimate their impact. In its 2024 Well-Being at Work Survey conducted in the U.S., U.K., Canada, and Australia, Deloitte found that 90% of executives believe working for their company 'has a positive effect on worker well-being, skills development, career advancement, inclusion and belonging, and [employees'] sense of purpose and meaning.' At the same time, just 60% (or fewer) of workers agree, according to the survey. That gap isn't just a miscommunication; it's a structural signal. And when leaders default to convenience over care in high-stakes moments, the message reverberates far beyond a single event. Consider the now-infamous 2021 Zoom layoffs at where 900 employees were let go in a terse three-minute video. The backlash was swift and severe, spotlighting a painful truth: When corporate actions contradict their stated values, their reputation takes a hit. There Doesn't Have to Be a Disconnect Most misalignment stems from good intentions, not malice. But business values must be lived in practice, not just in glossy branding. And regardless of your role—whether you're a CEO, director, manager, or individual contributor—you have the power to bridge the gap. 1. Audit intent versus impact. Start with brutal honesty. Map your organization's stated values against real moments where behaviors diverge—vacation policies that go unused, diversity statements that don't reflect candidate slates. In my leadership sessions, consistently mapping these dissonances reveals opportunities to realign, rather than rebrand. Invite feedback from across levels and treat misalignment not as a failure, but as data. 2. Lead with ritual integrity. Values don't stick—they ritualize. Meaningful, small-scale rituals reinforce intent: a weekly check-in circle to honor well-being, 'no-meeting' afternoons to protect focus, transparent sharing of equity data even when it stings. Culture is less magic and more habit. These rituals become touchpoints for trust and vehicles for transformation. 3. Embed accountability. Accountability is the bridge from talk to trust. Expand success metrics to include psychological safety, sense of belonging, and alignment of personal narratives, a practice I call story audits. Nearly 85% of large U.S. employers offer workplace wellness programs; despite this, anticipated improvements in well-being are not being realized, indicating a mismatch between investment and outcomes. Measuring the invisible matters because it makes visible what is valued. This grassroots approach doesn't just uncover pain points; it creates buy-in and shared ownership for change. 4. Empower action at all levels. Aligned culture isn't a top-down decree; it's a distributed commitment. Empower 'alignment champions' across departments. At one biotech firm I advised, peer-led story circles uncovered voice imbalances more effectively than any digital survey and enabled real-time corrections. 5. Normalize vulnerability and repair. Inevitably, we slip. The question isn't whether it happens, but what happens next. Acknowledge missteps publicly. Leaders who say 'I was wrong' often deepen trust more than those who avoid the subject. Vulnerability is strength, not weakness. Repair strengthens culture when it's visible and sincere. Cultural congruence isn't a quarterly campaign; it's a daily practice. Every decision, conversation, and interaction carries a message. When we treat values as design principles rather than billboards, we build systems that reinforce them. Words shape our intentions, but actions shape our outcomes. Try this in your next meeting: Ask, 'Where are we out of sync, and what might it take to realign?' It's a simple question, but it signals a profound commitment. When organizations align their words with their actions, they do more than retain loyalty. They earn trust.


Chicago Tribune
an hour ago
- Chicago Tribune
After Diddy's conviction, here's where his business ventures stand
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Before Combs was arrested and charged, his major business ventures had collapsed: He stepped down and later fully divested from Revolt TV, which was founded in 2013. The network offered a mix of programming focused on hip-hop culture, R&B music, social justice and documentaries. He also reportedly lost a Hulu reality series deal and saw his once-iconic fashion brand Sean John vanish from Macy's shelves. After surveillance footage surfaced last year showing Combs physically assaulting singer Cassie, his then-girlfriend, in 2016, consequences mounted: New York City revoked his ceremonial key, Peloton pulled his music, Howard University rescinded his honorary degree and his charter school in Harlem cut ties. Last year, Combs settled a legal dispute with Diageo, withdrawing a lawsuit filed as part of a settlement with the London-based spirits giant, making the company the sole owner of Ciroc and DeLeon. While many of his ventures have unraveled, his music catalog — for now — remains intact. Bad Boy Records may be synonymous with 1990s icons like The Notorious B.I.G., Faith Evans, Ma$e, and 112, but Combs kept the label relevant before his arrest with high-profile releases. In 2023, Combs dropped ' The Love Album: Off the Grid,' which was his first solo studio album in nearly two decades, and Janelle Monáe released her critically acclaimed project ' The Age of Pleasure ' through Bad Boy. Both albums earned Grammy nominations, with Monáe's effort recognized in the prestigious record of the year category. Ahead of the 'The Love Album' release, Combs made headlines by returning Bad Boy publishing rights to several former artists and songwriters, years after he was criticized for how he handled their contracts. Bad Boy Records remains operational, but the label has been significantly shaken by Combs' legal firestorm and it hasn't announced any major upcoming releases. Last week, a surprise EP called 'Never Stop' released by his son, King Combs, and Ye (formerly Kanye West), showed support for the embattled mogul. The project was released through Goodfellas Entertainment. Bad Boy Records remained active through 2022, backing Machine Gun Kelly's 'Mainstream Sellout' under the Bad Boy umbrella. He was a producer on MTV's reality television series 'Making the Band,' and 'Making His Band,' launching the careers of artists like the girl group Danity Kane and male R&B group Day 26. Combs has been sued by multiple people who claim to have been victims of physical or sexual abuse. He has already paid $20 million to settle with one accuser, his former girlfriend Cassie. Most of those lawsuits, though, are still pending. It isn't clear how many, if any, will be successful, or how much it will cost Combs to defend himself in court. Combs and his lawyers have denied all the misconduct allegations and dismissed his accusers as out for a big payday. Federal prosecutors had informed the court that if Combs is convicted, they would seek to have him forfeit any assets, including property, 'used to commit or facilitate' his crimes. It was not immediately clear following the verdict how prosecutors would proceed or whether asset forfeiture would be part of a sentence imposed by the judge. Despite the legal turmoil surrounding Combs, his music catalog remains widely available on major streaming platforms including Spotify, Apple Music and Amazon Music. None of the streamers have publicly addressed whether they plan to adjust how his music is featured. Interestingly, Combs' music saw a roughly 20% boost in U.S. streaming between April and May 2025, his biggest monthly spike this year, according to Luminate. The numbers jump coincided with key moments in the trial, including testimonies from Cassie and Kid Cudi. However, there was a slight drop-off with a 5 to 10% decrease in June compared to the previous month's streams. Streaming makes up a fraction of an artist's revenue and is calculated through a complicated process called 'streamshare.' Most artists see very little pay from digital services. Sean John, founded in 1998, has gone largely dormant, with its presence disappearing from major retailers like Macy's. There are no clear signs of a relaunch on the horizon. In 2023, Combs launched Empower Global, an online marketplace designed to uplift Black-owned businesses and strengthen the Black dollar. He positioned the platform as a modern-day 'Black Wall Street,' backing it with a reported $20 million of his own investment. The platform debuted with 70 brands and planned to expand by onboarding new Black-owned businesses each month, aiming to feature more than 200 by year's end. However, as 2023 came to a close, several brands cut ties with Empower Global. It was reported that some cited disappointing performance and growing concerns over the misconduct allegations surrounding Combs.