Google’s lucrative search engine has scored an exemption from the Albanese government’s proposed crackdown on gambling advertising because wagering firms will still be able to buy “sponsored” results on some search terms.

Media companies, betting firms and sporting codes have been privately briefed on the government’s plan to reduce the number of online gambling ads. Those plans include a ban on gambling ads an hour either side of live sport, no more than two ads per hour on TV until 10pm, and a blanket ban on betting ads on social media and other digital platforms.