TV screens and airwaves could soon be free from gambling ads, under a proposal by a government-backed inquiry.
A parliamentary inquiry into online gambling harm has made 31 recommendations, calling for a crackdown on an industry that was "manipulating an impressionable and vulnerable audience".
Chief amongst them was a plan to phase out gambling advertising over a three-year period.
The first stage would ban online gambling ads during school pick-up and drop-off periods, as well as remove exemptions for the ads during news and current affairs broadcasts.
The ads would then be banned during sports broadcasts and for one hour on either side of matches and further restrictions would be placed on in-stadium advertising, including ads on players' uniforms.
A ban between 6am and 10pm would next be implemented, followed by a total prohibition at the end of the three-year period.
Ads on racing channels would be exempt under the proposal.
A public education campaign and harm reduction levy on service providers were also recommended.
Inquiry chair and Labor MP Peta Murphy said online gambling harm needed to be treated as a public health issue.
"Australians lose the most to online gambling because we have a weak and fragmented regulatory framework, which places all the onus for reducing harm onto the person who gambles," she said.
"Gambling advertising is grooming children and young people to gamble and encourages riskier behaviour.
"The torrent of advertising is inescapable."
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the government would consider the recommendations, describing the ads as "reprehensible".
Opposition Leader Peter Dutton, who used his budget reply speech in May to push for a gambling ad ban during sports matches, said the coalition would consider whatever the government proposed.
"It's a view that's shared by many, many Australians that gambling ads have just gone way too far," he said.
Alliance for Gambling Reform chief Tim Costello said reform was urgent.
"This is an issue that is too important to become a political football - we urge both major parties to give this bipartisan support to these recommendations today," he said.
Independent West Australian MP Kate Chaney said she knew of some examples of children getting caught up in gambling.
"One constituent told my office a troubling story of a six-year-old boy asking his father if he could bet on the Brownlow medal," she said.
However, Sportsbet chief executive Barni Evans said the ban recommendation was a step too far.
"We understand changing sentiment on advertising, and we made that very clear during the inquiry," he said.
"We believe an approach that significantly reduces the number of ads rather than complete bans would respond to community concerns, while still supporting sport and media."
Chief executive of Responsible Wagering Australia Kai Cantwell said a more balanced approach was needed.
"RWA recognises community concerns around online wagering advertising and there are more effective ways of meeting community expectations," he said.
AFL executive Travis Auld said the consequences of the gambling ad changes needed to be understood.
"There are significant decisions in there that have impacts potentially on our industry, from Auskickers right through to the elite competition and the way in which they can participate and the cost of participating and that whole infrastructure," he told reporters.
