Online in-play sports betting may be getting a reprieve from Australia’s Northern Territory Racing Commission (NTRC).

On June 10, the NTRC sent its online betting licensees a letter saying they had to shut down their online in-play betting apps within 28 days to “head off future action by the federal government.”

In April, the feds publicly vowed to close the legislative loopholes that led multiple operators to launch voice-activated smartphone apps that circumvented the restrictions on in-play betting. Under the 2001 Interactive Gambling Act, remote in-play betting is permissible only if it’s conducted over a telephone line.

On Wednesday, The Australian reported that the NTRC had sent its licensees a second letter that suggests the in-play apps might survive beyond the July 8 deadline. This latest letter asks licensees to participate in a consultation process on the in-play issue and notes that the change of heart came in response to lobbying by online operators.