Local media groups are keeping their fingers crossed that the Australian government will listen to their request for some exemptions to the siren-to-siren ban on betting ads.

The Sydney Morning Herald reported that Free TV Australia (FTA), Commercial Radio Australia and the Australian Subscription Television and Radio Association (ASTRA) have sought changes to the recently implemented policy aimed at reducing children’s exposure to betting ads.

In its draft code, ASTRA proposes that “low audience” subscription TV channels – like ESPN, ESPN2, and Eurosports – should be allowed to continue airing gambling ads during live sports coverages, since these channels serve only “a small number of highly devoted fans.”

FTA, meanwhile, vowed to “strike the right balance” between protecting the children from gambling and upholding the rights of Australians to access live sports broadcasts for free.