“Australians are the biggest losers in the world when it comes to gambling,” Ms Murphy said in a statement.

“We have a culture where sport and gambling are intrinsically linked. These behaviours are causing increasingly widespread and serious harm to individuals, families, and communities.

“The torrent of advertising is inescapable. It is manipulating an impressionable and vulnerable audience to gamble online.”

The committee’s report, called “You win some, you lose more”, also recommended a levy on betting companies to pay for harm reduction measures. The committee looked at the impact of online gambling through a public health lens. It has urged the government to develop a national strategy on online gambling harm reduction as well as a public education campaign.

“Currently our support services, where they are appropriately targeted, are overwhelmed,” Ms Murphy said.

“We have recommended a range of measures to improve the availability and adequacy of the support and treatment available to those experiencing gambling harm, and to reduce stigma which is currently preventing many from seeking help.”

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton last month launched an assault on gambling advertising during sports broadcasting, saying “footy time is family time” and called for a ban on ads for an hour before and after matches. The call sparked anger from media executives, who were given little notice of the decision to back a ban.

But the move has strong public support. A Financial Review reader poll found 70 per cent of respondents supported the policy. Research from the Australian Gambling Research Centre also showed more than half of Australians support an outright ban on gambling advertising.

The government will review the recommendations before deciding how to proceed.

“This is the regulatory remit – to strike that balance between community expectations, the sustainability of the sector, and also minimising harms,” Communications Minister Michelle Rowland told the Financial Review last month.