Brazil has introduced a tougher set of marketing rules for licensed betting operators, significantly expanding restrictions on gambling advertising as the country continues to strengthen oversight of its newly regulated market.
The new measures, published by the Ministry of Finance alongside the Ministry of Justice and Public Security, will take effect on 17 July. They introduce mandatory warning messages on all fixed-odds betting advertisements while broadening legal responsibilities for everyone involved in promoting gambling products.
Under the updated framework, every betting advertisement must display one of three government-approved warnings:
- “The Ministry of Finance warns: Betting can cause addiction.”
- “The Ministry of Finance warns: Betting makes you lose money.”
- “The Ministry of Finance warns: Betting is not an investment.”
These messages must appear clearly in a horizontal format and occupy at least 10% of the advertisement, whether shown on television, digital platforms or other marketing channels.
The regulations also extend responsibility beyond licensed operators. Advertising agencies, media companies, digital platforms, app stores, affiliates, influencers and other promotional partners can all face scrutiny if they help distribute marketing that breaches the rules. Authorities say the changes are designed to improve consumer protection and reduce misleading gambling promotions.
Several advertising practices are now explicitly prohibited. Operators may not portray betting as a source of income, an investment opportunity or a solution to financial problems. Campaigns cannot encourage immediate betting through urgency or fear of missing out, highlight previous winnings to entice customers, or use false or misleading claims about potential returns.
The rules also ban commentators, analysts and experts from using their authority during sports broadcasts to recommend or encourage bets on specific matches or markets. The restriction follows criticism of betting-related promotions that appeared during FIFA World Cup coverage in Brazil, where regulators questioned whether commentary crossed into gambling promotion.
Marketing aimed at minors has been further restricted. Advertisements may not feature imagery, characters, language or settings likely to appeal to children or teenagers, nor can they be displayed in environments primarily attended by under-18s, including schools and children’s venues. Promotion of unlicensed betting operators is also expressly forbidden.
Finance Minister Dario Durigan said the government intends to curb misleading gambling advertising while reinforcing safeguards within Brazil’s regulated betting sector. The latest measures form part of a broader regulatory effort that has also targeted illegal operators and financial services facilitating unlicensed gambling activity.
Brazil currently has 85 companies authorised to operate in its regulated betting market, according to the Ministry of Finance. The government expects the stricter advertising standards to improve compliance while ensuring consumers receive clearer information about the risks associated with gambling.