Brazil unveils new betting ad rules, mandates health warnings and bans misleading commentary
2026-07-10
Source: iGaming Business
Brazil's Ministry of Finance will publish new advertising rules for betting operators, mandating health warnings, banning misleading commentary, and setting fines of up to 20% of revenue, while enforcement has already taken down over 56,000 sites and nearly a million bettors have been self-excluded.
Brazil’s Ministry of Finance has announced a fresh set of restrictions on betting advertisements, set to take effect from Friday. Finance Minister Dario Durigan revealed on Thursday that two new ordinances will clamp down on how operators market their services, introducing mandatory warnings and outlawing deceptive commentary from sports personalities.
All betting adverts must now carry a Ministry of Finance warning, similar to those seen on cigarette and alcohol products. The mandated messages include: “Betting makes you lose money,” “Betting can cause addiction,” and “Betting is not an investment.” The move aims to counter the normalisation of gambling as a harmless pastime.
Restrictions on content and commentators
A second ordinance, issued jointly with the Ministry of Justice, targets illegal operators. Durigan stressed that media outlets may not run advertisements for any company without a valid licence. “We are imposing restrictions on betting advertisements in the country. We have zero tolerance for illegal operators,” he said.
Operators are now forbidden from creating a false sense of urgency, presenting betting as an investment or financial solution, or using images of past winnings to entice consumers. Crucially, sports commentators and analysts may no longer use their expertise to steer bettors. Durigan explained that it is not permissible to mix expert commentary with statements that a particular bet is the best choice, “thereby inducing the consumer to adopt a certain practice under the guise of technical backing.”
Penalties for non-compliance
Breaches will carry severe financial consequences. Durigan confirmed that fines can reach 20% of the betting operator’s revenue, along with a 180-day suspension. For serious repeat offences, the company’s authorisation to operate in Brazil may be revoked entirely.
National Consumer Secretary Ricardo Morishita added that the maximum fine stands at approximately BRL14 million ($2.7 million) for anyone running illegal betting advertisements. The government will also hold companies responsible if contracted influencers violate the new rules, and offending content may be taken down.
Enforcement and industry cooperation
Durigan reported that enforcement actions have already removed 56,000 betting sites and nearly 1,000 influencer profiles from the market. He noted that nearly one million bettors have been forced into self-exclusion after falling foul of statutory prohibitions.
A Supreme Court ruling prevents beneficiaries of government programmes, such as the debt renegotiation scheme Desenrola, from accessing betting platforms. Authorised operators are cooperating by reporting illegal competitors, Durigan added.
Timeline of regulation in Brazil
The minister outlined the key milestones in Brazil’s betting regulation journey:
- 2018: Operators were permitted to enter the market but without a clear regulatory framework. - 2023: Congress established general rules for the sector. - 2024: The Ministry of Finance created the Secretariat of Prizes and Bets to oversee the industry. - 2025: The government began collecting licensing fees and actively enforcing the new rules.