Negotiations are advancing for a deal to keep future AFL Gather Rounds in South Australia, the state government says.

South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas said on Sunday morning that a deal had not yet been reached, amid media reports that the event could remain in the state for several years.

“We would love to have the Gather Round back here and it’s a tough negotiation as you would expect,” he said. 

The inaugural Gather Round has brought six AFL matches to South Australia so far, including a game at Mount Barker’s Summit Sport Park and at Norwood Oval.

The final three matches of the round will be held on Sunday.

Earlier this week, AFL chief executive officer Gillon McLachlan said the league would “make an assessment on Monday” on the future of the Gather Round.

Mr Malinauskas said the state was competing against Western Australia and New South Wales, which also wanted to host the Gather Round.

“Others might try to trump us on money but what we trump every other state around is we are a footy state,” he said on Sunday.

While Mr Malinauskas said he could not disclose how much the state government had spent on this year’s Gather Round, he said the figure was “less than half” of the government’s $40 million major events fund.

The state government has yet to calculate the full cash injection generated from the Gather Round, but Mr Malinauskas pointed to record hotel bookings and sold-out crowds as markers of success.

“It has undoubtedly exceeded all our expectations and hopes,” he said.