Portugal to debate ad-ban and modernisation of gambling laws

The Portuguese Parliament has agreed to reopen debates on stricter controls for gambling advertising and promotions.

On Friday, Parliament agreed to forward five initiatives from the left-wing ecologist party Livre to committee stage for further deliberation. These included measures to curb online gambling advertising, sponsorship bans, and the application of mandatory addiction warnings.

However, Livre’s proposals to prohibit sales or linit availability of scratch cards in health establishments were rejected.

MPs at the São Bento Palace will once again review whether to apply limits of advertising, a ban on gambling promotions by influencers and public figures. Elsewhere ministers will review Portuguese sports relationships with betting firms, and new obligations to toughen consumer warnings on online platforms and games of chance.

In connection with the proposals, the Socialist Party (PS) agreed to apply a non-binding resolution to urge the government to review and modernise Portugal’s gambling framework.

New initiatives would focus on the creation of  a central self-exclusion system, strengthening regulatory oversight, and potentially using gambling revenues to support tourism development in the country’s interior regions.

At present, Portugal’s gambling sector is regulated under a dual system. Land-based casinos, arcades and bingo are covered by the Gambling Law of 1989, which limits operations to ‘municipal zones’ granted by the state. 

Online gambling and sports betting, meanwhile, have been regulated since 2015 under Decree-Law 66/2015, overseen by Portugal’s SRIJ – Gambling Regulation and Inspection Service. Licensed operators must comply with strict consumer-protection rules and pay taxes, with online sports betting levied on turnover 8–16%, dependent on wagering tiers and online casino games on gross gaming revenue of 25% flat rate.

The 2015 decree led to many international operators exiting the market, viewing Portugal’s tax framework as unviable and favouring domestic incumbents. 

However, as tax rates have risen across all Western European jurisdictions, in subsequent years Portugal’s regime has gradually come to be seen favourable. The SRIJ has since welcomed a steady flow of new licensees, broadening the market beyond its original incumbents.

São Bento divided on gambling reforms 

Political reactions revealed sharp divisions over Livre’s proposals. While left-wing parties such as Livre, PCP, BE and PAN have actively pressed for tougher restrictions, parliament’s larger houses cautioned against blanket bans and other stringent controls. 

The governing PSD accused Livre of resorting to “ban, ban, ban” politics without considering constitutional or proportionality issues, while the PS stressed that prohibitionist solutions risk undermining state revenues

The conservative block of  Chega, IL and CDS-PP all criticised the initiatives as paternalistic and disproportionate, with Chega branding Livre’s proposals as “Stalinist tendencies, of a party seeking public attention”.  

APAJO: Gambling advertising is a consumer protection 

The Portuguese Online Betting and Gambling Association (APAJO) quickly responded by defending gambling ads as “the only way” for consumers to distinguish between licensed and unlicensed operators.

“Advertising is the only real advantage that licensed operators have over illegal ones. And it’s the only way for Portuguese consumers to distinguish between the licensed and the unlicensed, the safe and the unsafe,” said APAJO president Ricardo Domingues in a statement circulated to Iberian press agencies.

APAJO warned that restrictions would favour the black market, citing the Italian example where advertising bans have backfired. The association accused Livre of “a clear lack of knowledge of the matter” and acting out of “ideological or personal prejudice and political opportunism”.

Domingues stressed that around 40% of Portuguese online gamblers still use illegal platforms, with three quarters unaware they are doing so. He argued that licensed operators comply with SRIJ rules, while illegal sites often allow minors or self-excluded players to gamble and have been linked to match-fixing.

Livre MPs countered that gambling is becoming increasingly “invisible” and addictive, particularly among young people using mobile phones and computers. They insist advertising must not glorify gambling or target vulnerable groups, while APAJO argues that without visibility, licensed firms cannot compete with unregulated rivals.

Up for debate…

The reopening of parliamentary debate signals that Portugal will once again reassess where the balance of gambling governance should lie between consumer protections and market viability. 

Committees will now decide whether to tighten advertising restrictions in line with Livre’s vision, or to adopt the PS’s softer approach of modernising the framework with new controls, supervision and regulatory powers.