Brazil Senate Backs Sweeping Betting Advertising Curbs

Brazil’s Science and Technology Committee (CCT) has approved legislation that would impose sweeping restrictions on betting advertising and sponsorship while creating a system to assess gambling products according to their potential risk.

Bill 2.470/2026, introduced by Senator Damares Alves and six other senators, would amend Brazil’s fixed-odds betting legislation. Senator Alessandro Vieira supported the proposal through a substitute text, while the committee also approved an urgency request for Senate Plenary consideration.

“This is a non-partisan initiative. It stems from society’s current understanding of the extent of the damage caused by so-called betting,” the rapporteur stated.

The decision followed a Tuesday public hearing where government representatives and betting industry members presented differing views.

Broad Limits on Advertising and Sponsorship

The approved text would ban direct and indirect betting advertising across television, radio, print, outdoor media, streaming services, podcasts, social networks, websites and other internet environments. Instant messaging, SMS, email, notifications, telemarketing, algorithmic targeting and behavioural profiling would also fall under the restrictions.

Bonuses, promotional credits, free bets, rewards, free spins, cashback and loyalty programmes intended to encourage betting would be prohibited. Advertising could not portray gambling as risk-free, a source of income, a financial solution, guaranteed profit or a means of recovering losses.

Authorised operators could continue strictly institutional communication through their official channels, subject to content limits.

The proposal would also prohibit betting sponsorship involving sports organisations, competitions, broadcasts, cultural events, educational and social projects, influencers, athletes and celebrities. “Brand exposure, naming rights, licensing arrangements and ambassador roles would fall within the ban.” Existing contracts would receive 24 months for adaptation or termination.

Product Assessments and User Protection

A competent federal executive body would assess betting products before they reach the public. The classification would consider rapid results, repeated betting cycles, random outcomes, intermittent rewards, near-miss incentives and features encouraging users to chase losses.

Products considered excessively risky could not be offered. Roulette, slot machines, collision games and simulated virtual sports are among those identified as potentially falling into that category.

Operators could not use information from self-excluded customers, people undergoing treatment or users who requested marketing blocks to reactivate betting activity. Permanent age-verification, self-exclusion and voluntary betting-limit systems would remain mandatory.

The text would also ban credit-card betting, predictive models used to identify periods of greater vulnerability and platform mechanisms that hinder users from stopping betting or activating restrictions.

Conar Expands Advertising Controls

Separately, Conar’s Content Council has approved revisions to Annex “X” of the Brazilian Code of Advertising Self-Regulation and introduced a new framework for betting advertising.

The changes increase responsibility across the advertising chain and strengthen action against illegal betting promotion. Mandatory warnings established under Ordinance SPA/MF No. 1,964/2026 must receive greater prominence.

Conar also plans closer oversight of influencers and affiliates, including an accreditation programme for influencers authorised to promote betting. A new checklist for protecting children and teenagers adds restrictions on campaign elements associated with young audiences, including anthropomorphized animals, while recommending age-screening measures on operators’ own channels.

The two developments would place further controls on how betting operators promote their services and reach vulnerable audiences.

Source:

“Brazil Senate Committee approves restrictions on ads and betting sponsorship”, igamingbusiness.com, September 3, 2026