Cricket Australia has turned down an offer from a betting company to sponsor the Big Bash League.

CA chief executive Kevin Roberts has revealed the rejected approach as his organisation comes under criticism for taking sponsorship from gambling companies.

He says the BBL sponsorship offer from an un-named gambling company didn’t fit with the domestic Twenty20 competition.

“That is something we won’t do because it’s fun, family entertainment,” Roberts told SEN radio.

CA is heavily sponsored by Bet365, which has drawn the ire of Tim Costello, the chief advocate for the Alliance for Gambling Reform, who has called on cricket to sever ties with the company.

There’s two very separate points here,” Roberts said. “The integrity of the game, it’s all about keeping the game clean. “And, on the other hand, very separately, we have a commercial arrangement in the sports betting space in Australia.