The Australian government’s proposal for a complete ban on betting operators advertising during live televised sports broadcasts has sparked a flurry of pushback from stakeholders.

On Wednesday, The Australian reported that Communications Minister Mitch Fifield would present a proposal next Tuesday (25) calling for a ‘siren to siren’ ban on betting ads during live TV sports broadcasts, while offering broadcasters reduced license fees to offset the expected loss of advertising revenue.

On Thursday, The Age reported that the Australian Football League (AFL), National Rugby League (NRL) and Cricket Australia are pushing Fifield to amend his proposal to exempt betting ads in live sports broadcasts after the 8:30pm watershed. The leagues also want a guarantee that betting ads will continue to be permitted in the one-hour window immediately preceding live sports broadcasts.

In a bid to inject some sanity into this discussion, AFL boss Gillon McLachlan reportedly reminded Fifield that, despite all the hysterical media headlines, sports betting accounts for less than 5% of Australians’ overall gambling spending.