Ed Miliband declares war on 'crack cocaine' gaming machines that allow punters to gamble Â£300 a minute Labour leader to accuse firms of causing 'misery' for millions of families UK's 33,000 fixed odds betting terminals (FOBTs) take more than Â£1bn a year Miliband's words are break from New Labour which tried to allow casinos Attack: Ed Miliband will accuse firms of targeting vulnerable families and causing misery for millions A new generation of high stakes gaming machines has turned traditional bookmakers on every high street â€˜into mini-casinosâ€™, Ed Miliband will warn today. The Labour leader will set out plans to rid communities of controversial machines which allow punters to gamble up to Â£300 a minute, or Â£18,000 an hour. He will accuse firms of targeting vulnerable people and causing â€˜miseryâ€™ for millions of families. Britainâ€™s 33,000 fixed odds betting terminals (FOBTs), also dubbed the â€˜crack cocaineâ€™ of gambling, have been under increasing scrutiny in recent months. The terminals are increasingly key to the bookmaking industry, now raking in more than Â£1bn a year in profit. Critics of the machines say they are highly addictive and have made casino-style gambling dangerously accessible in every town and city. In a significant break from New Labour, which attempted to allow â€˜supercasinosâ€™, Mr Miliband will say that if elected he would pass legislation giving councils the power to rid their communities of FOBTs. On a visit to Kilburn in London, he will pledge to give local authorities the right to decide to stop the spread of the machines, cut their number, or ban them all together. â€˜In town and cities across Britain today, you can see how the old bookies are being turned into mini casinos. In the poorest areas, these are spreading like an epidemic along high streets with the pawn shops and pay day lenders that are becoming symbols of Britainâ€™s cost of living crisis,â€™ the Labour leader said. â€˜In Newham there are 87 betting shops with an estimated 348 machines, and across the five Liverpool constituencies there are 153 betting shops with around 559 FOBTs. This has huge consequences for our communities, causing debt and misery for families, and often acting as a magnet for crime and anti-social behaviour. â€˜But currently, there is almost nothing that can be done to stop the spread of FOBTs. Laws passed restricting betting shops to a maximum of four of these betting machines has meant more betting shops in clusters sometimes open from 7.30am to 10pm at night. Industry: Fixed odds betting temrinals (FOBTs) make more than Â£1billion a year in Britain â€˜The time has come to give local communities the right to pull the plug on these machines - the right to decide if they want their high streets to be the place for high stakes, high speed, high cost gambling.â€™ Clive Efford, Labourâ€™s shadow sports minister, added: â€˜Betting shop operators have been in denial that there is a problem. We will make sure that councillors have the powers to respond when concerns are raised in their local communities.â€™ Mr Miliband will stop short of agreeing with one key demand of campaigners against the proliferation of the machines, which is for the maximum stake to be slashed to Â£2 per spin. However, he will set out three specific reforms which will pile pressure on the Government to act. Labour would legislate to put betting shops in a separate planning class so that councils can control the number opening in their area. Campaign: Miliband is backed by Labour MPs including Tom Watson (pictured) in a policy break from New Labour, which attempted to allow 'super casinos' Currently betting shops are classified as â€˜financial and professional servicesâ€™, which means that one can open in any premise that used to be a bank, building society, estate agent, employment agency without needing planning permission. This has enabled the spread of these shops on the high street, with local authorities being unable to stop it. Labourâ€™s proposed change would require betting companies to seek planning permission if they wanted to open in a premise other than a former betting shop. Local authorities would, in turn, have the ability to ration and manage the number and location of shops in their area. Tuition fee repeat? Nick Clegg has been accused of going against his word after voting against curbs on betting terminals this month Labour would also legislate to give councils the power to revoke or reduce the number of FOBTs in betting shops, which is currently up to four per premise. Mr Miliband will say he would modify the Gambling Act to give councils powers to review betting shop licenses in their area and retrospectively reduce the number of machines in existing betting shop. Finally, the party says it would legislate to reduce the harm caused by these machines by increasing the time between plays, requiring on screen warnings and breaks in play. Currently, the machines operate at such speed that there is only 20 seconds between games and no required break in play. Critics suggested that this is what makes these machines addictive. Labour says it would increase the time between plays to at least 40 seconds, introduce pop ups that warn players how long they have played, how much they have betted and lost, and require breaks in play so players have to go to the cash desk after they have been on the machines for a particular period of time. Where they have FOBT machines, operators would also have to have at least two members of staff present at all times. Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg has been accused of a â€˜re-run of the tuition fee scandalâ€™ after Lib Dem MPs voted against curbs on stakes on the machines earlier this month, even though Mr Clegg was previously photographed supporting a campaign to stop their spread. As well as concerns about problem gambling, critics claim the machines have become a key channel for laundering money for drug dealers. Criminals bet on the roulette games in the terminals, placing Â£20 on red, the same on black and Â£2 on zero, and then cash out after a few plays. They are assured of going away with a large amount of cash with a receipt to show it has been legitimately gambled.