PLUGS for live betting during televised sporting events would be banned under Tony Abbott's plan to shield children from gambling.

The Opposition Leader said he will impose the live betting blackout if he becomes prime minister unless the television industry takes action first.

Warning it was wrong for children to learn about gambling before they learnt about the game, Mr Abbott said the current level of gambling advertising was wrecking sport.

Although his instinct was to avoid nanny-state solutions, he said governments had little choice but to intervene.

He said: "We are natural deregulators, not regulators. But when you've got a significant social nuisance, it's important for government to at least be prepared to step in."

Bookmaker Tom Waterhouse's appearance with Nine's commentators and his the post-game analysis have sparked bitter divisions among fans and the NRL.

Free TV Australia, representing networks including Nine, Seven and Ten, has proposed new restrictions on the promotion of live odds during live sporting events.

However, the code does not restrict promotion of live odds for other sports such as interstate matches or in commercials during scheduled breaks.

Mr Abbott said while he was aware networks had proposed restricting the broadcasting of odds once a game started, if they were still only talking about it after the election it would be appropriate for the government to step in.

Free-to-air stations fear Tom Waterhouse's profile during live games will heighten concerns in government the stations are not up to the task of self-regulation.Mr Abbott said he wasn't singling out any individuals, including Mr Waterhouse.

"The game should be about performances, not about whether you might make 10 bucks by guessing who scores the first goal," he said.

But anti-gambling crusader independent Senator Nick Xenophon said reforms proposed by Free TV did not go far enough. "If you can't have gambling advertising during other G-rated programs, why should sporting programs be exempt?" he said.

"When codes rely so much on gambling revenue the danger is that the potential for corruption is much bigger."

Critics have warned that an informal code banning bookmakers promoting live odds has already been in effect this season, suggesting the current advertising will not change.

The Greens have introduced legislation that would completely ban broadcasters from advertising or mentioning odds during a broadcast.