Friday newspaper round-up: Gambling, Huawei, Scottish independence, Sainsbury's

The government has come under fire for its “outrageous” failure to back a mandatory levy on betting firms to increase funding for addiction treatment, in defiance of a call from the industry’s regulator. Labour’s deputy leader, Tom Watson, accused the government of “dragging its heels”, after the sports minister, Mims Davies, said in a speech that the existing voluntary levy “does work”, moments after the chair of the Gambling Commission said the opposite. – Guardian

Cabinet members who were at Tuesday’s National Security Council (NSC) have been sent an ultimatum by Whitehall’s most powerful official to confess or deny whether they leaked a controversial decision to allow Chinese telecoms firm Huawei to help build the UK’s 5G phone network. Cabinet secretary Sir Mark Sedwill is understood to have written to those present and demanded that they tell him by 2pm whether they were involved and would be willing to cooperate with an inquiry, prompting the five prime suspects to scramble to “categorically deny” that they were behind the leak. – Guardian

Pensioners’ incomes have soared above inflation in the past 12 years even as working-age families have struggled to keep their earnings growing faster than prices. Retired households’ disposable incomes jumped by almost 60pc between 2005-06 and 2017-18, even as the cost of living climbed by just under 40pc - effectively making them around a fifth better off. – Telegraph

Only one in five Scottish voters support Nicola Sturgeon's demand this week for a second independence referendum within two years, according to an opinion poll showing declining support for separation. The poll, conducted by Survation, found 21 per cent backed the First Minister's blueprint for another vote on leaving the UK being staged before the May 2021 Holyrood election. – Telegraph

Sainsbury’s faces a hit of about £50 million after the competition regulator blocked its £12 billion merger with rival supermarket Asda over fears that the deal would lead to price rises. The FTSE 100 grocer, which is led by Mike Coupe, has spent millions in fees to bankers and lawyers for their work on the proposed tie-up. – The Times

Employers have demanded reforms of the apprenticeship levy, with more than a quarter claiming that it has had a negative impact on their business. Small businesses said the policy came with unnecessarily onerous requirements, according to a survey by the Federation of Small Businesses. – The Times