Brazil’s Sports Commission has greenlit an amended bill, Bill 2,985/2023, that proposes strict new restrictions on betting advertisements.
The revised bill, now moving to the Senate Plenary, was endorsed by Senator Carlos Portinho, who removed the initial full ban on ads but introduced several key limitations.
Under the proposed changes are the following:
Live sports broadcasts would see a total ban on betting ads.
Celebrities, athletes, and influencers would no longer be allowed in promotional materials, except for retired athletes who ended their careers over five years ago.
Ad time restrictions include:
- TV, streaming, and internet: Ads only allowed from 7:30pm to midnight
- Radio: Only between 9-11am and 5-7:30pm.
Print ads and stadium promotions would be largely banned unless operators are official sponsors or hold naming rights.
All ads must include a clear warning: “Gambling causes addiction and harm to you and your family.”
Digital ads would only be shown to verified users over 18, with an opt-out option.
Brand placements in sport promo announcements between 9pm and 6am would be allowed, but without calls to action or promises of winnings.
Portinho emphasized that these measures are a response to the industry’s failure to self-regulate, despite the SPA’s previous ordinance in 2024.
Carlos Portinho, Senator, mentioned:
One year after this law was passed, our society is sick, it is completely addicted to betting. Football clubs are addicted to betting. Communication companies are addicted to betting, to advertising, to the money they receive from betting.
And with this pandemic, it is up to us to impose discipline.
While Senator initially supported a full ban on betting ads, he introduced amendments to the bill to ensure legal clarity, given that the online gambling sector is already regulated under existing legislation.
Styvenson Valentim, Senator, added:
Your vote was balanced. It wasn’t what I wanted, but it achieved its purpose in some points. It creates a balance for us to see how it will behave from now on.
Maybe we’re giving the market a chance to adapt and a warning to the population that has already seen that this is harmful.
