The UK Labour Party would ban betting companies from inking football shirt sponsorship deals if the party forms the next government, according to its deputy leader.

On Tuesday, Tom Watson, Labour’s shadow minister for digital, culture, media and sport, announced that it was time to “recognize the harm problem gambling does and take gambling logos off football shirts … Football has to play its part in tackling Britain’s hidden epidemic of gambling addiction.”

Watson said that if Labour ever dethrones the Tories, the party would pressure the English Football Association to impose a ban on betting companies promoting their brands on team kit, but the party wouldn’t hesitate to pass its own restrictions if the FA proved unwilling to act.

Nearly half – nine out of 20 – of English Premier League clubs currently have gambling companies’ logos on their jersey fronts. Watson claimed that this high visibility “puts gambling brands in front of fans of all ages” not just in the stadiums but also via live television broadcasts and sports highlight programs.