Wednesday 21 October 2026 · Edition of the day

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The Skeptic's Daily

The day's biggest stories, taken apart. For each one: what is actually established, what is only asserted, the questions worth asking — and a plausibility score for the central claim, given everything currently known.

Stories
1
Average plausibility
72%
How to read the score
It rates how well the core claim is evidenced — not how important the story is, nor whether it is good or bad news.
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01BusinessEurope

Paddy Power cuts 1,400 jobs and attributes decision to betting taxes

The BBC reports the cuts, but the company's explanation is not independently tested in the supplied material.

The BBC reports that Paddy Power is cutting 1,400 jobs and blaming increases in betting taxes. Its summary says the government increased taxes on online casino and sports betting in last year's Budget.

What holds up

  • ✓The BBC item explicitly reports 1,400 job cuts.
  • ✓The summary identifies tax increases on online casino and sports betting in last year's Budget.

What doesn't yet

  • ?The claimed causal link between tax increases and the cuts is the company's explanation.
  • ?No timetable, geographical breakdown or independent financial analysis is supplied.

Ask before you share

  • →Where and when will the jobs be lost?
  • →What financial evidence separates the impact of taxes from other business pressures?

Sources & original reporting

  1. [1]BBC News · Published 20 Oct 2026 · bbc.co.uk