Labour considers plans to force bookies to fund treatment for gambling addicts

Shadow culture secretary Tom Watson will use his speech to conference to set out plans to review the extent of the issue and the NHS' ability to provide mental health treatment for addicts and problem gamblers.

Addressing delegates, the deputy Labour leader will claim that firms are targeting "low-income gamblers" and people who had given up betting, accusing them of an "abuse of trust and power".

He will also reaffirm the party's commitment to banning football shirt sponsorship deals with gambling companies - affecting teams in Leeds, Hull and Huddersfield.

"Some gambling companies, driven by greed, are deliberately targeting our poorest communities even as hundreds of thousands of lives are ruined by addiction." Mr Watson will tell conference.

"The number of problem gamblers in this country has risen by a third in just three years. Two million people are either problem gamblers or at risk of addiction.

"We now know that when vulnerable people try to opt-out of online gambling, companies don't always block their accounts, as they should.

"Gambling companies are even harvesting data to deliberately target low-income gamblers and people who have given up gambling. More than half of companies profit from 'risk' gamblers.

"This has to stop. Gambling companies must be held to account for this abuse of trust and power."

According to 2015 figures, there are an estimated 979 "problem gamblers" in the Yorkshire and Humber region.

Labour has already set out plans to cut the maximum stake at fixed-odds betting terminals from £100 to just £2.

The review of problem gambling and the NHS' ability to cope will be led jointly by Mr Watson and shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth.

It will consider whether the gambling industry should make a greater contribution to funding the cost of treatment, including through the use of a compulsory hypothecated levy.

Mr Watson will also use his speech to confirm plans to ban football teams from signing shirt sponsorship deals with betting companies.

He has previously expressed concern that these deals put gambling company logos in front of millions of supporters, including children.

If enacted, the policy would affect Leeds United, Hull City and Huddersfield Town.