The Sports Committee (CEsp) will discuss a bill that prohibits advertising for fixed-odds betting in Brazil.
The bill, drafted by Senator Stevenson Valente, will amend Article 33 of Law No. 13,756/2018, which proposes the regulation of fixed-odds sports betting in Brazil. Article 33 will prohibit gambling advertisements across all channels and media.
Valente's rationale for banning gambling advertisements is that he believes companies ignore marketing restrictions, especially those targeting young people.
"This proposal makes sense because the composition of gamblers has suddenly changed; now they are mostly young people who can bet at any time of the day, with just a click of the mouse, without any impediment to impulsive behavior," Valente said.
CEsp will hold a meeting to analyze the bill. The proposal will then be submitted to the Committee on Communication and Digital Law (CCDD), which will decide whether to advance the bill.
Brazil has already taken steps to limit advertising.
On December 6, the regulatory body for prizes and betting immediately implemented a series of advertising measures, which were initially planned to be implemented from the start of the legal market on January 1, 2025.
These include prohibiting advertisements targeted at children or adolescents, and banning advertisements through channels where minors make up the majority of the audience.
Furthermore, all advertisements must include a "18+" symbol or a message stating "not suitable for viewers under 18."
Bill supported by Senator Botinio
Senator Carlos Botinio tried to exclude online gambling from the current gambling law but was unsuccessful. He supports Valente's proposal. Last December, he said, "The bill deserves to be passed."
Botinio also proposed some amendments, including prohibiting the broadcasting of gambling advertisements from 10 PM to 6 AM, and completely banning marketing in Brazilian print or electronic media.
Additionally, Botinio amended the bill to prohibit the use of athletes or other public figures in advertisements and to ban the promotion of gambling through text messages or mobile notifications.
Botinio stated, "The proliferation of advertisements in this sector leads the audience to believe that they can achieve financial independence just by being lucky, but reality shows that the poorest economic groups are more visibly impoverished."
