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.

Communications Minister Michelle Rowland’s proposal, which is not final, has provoked a backlash from media companies and wagering firms for going too far, and anti-gambling advocates for not going far enough. It does not prevent gambling companies from advertising on sports jerseys or on signs in stadiums – both of which appear on TV broadcasts.

But Google’s search platform has a carve-out for wagering-related terms, parties have been told.

Google search results fall into two categories: organic and paid. Organic results are based on how relevant a website is to what a user has searched for. Paid results are listed as sponsored at the top of some search terms.

Banks, for example, pay to appear at the top under the search term “home loans”. Google did not respond to a request for comment.