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Brazil’s Ministry of Justice and Public Security (MJSP) has approved new regulations on age rating that now extend to the gambling sector. Published on October 16, 2025, in the Union’s Official Gazette as Ordinance MJSP No. 1.048, the regulation has set a framework where all products involving gambling have to include age ratings and specific content descriptors. These regulations will come into effect on March 17, 2026, and will offer a more structured framework for consumer protection within online gambling environments.
Scope of the Regulation
The rule extends to every type of gambling product, including mobile apps up for sale in online stores, both free and paid. The rule specifically aims at products encouraging fixed-odds betting and online gaming as Law No. 14.790 of December 29, 2023, defines them. The most significant descriptors to be featured on the products, terms of use, app stores, and promotion material are “betting simulation” and “financial involvement“, providing clear guidelines to consumers regarding the nature of the activity.
All such products falling under these regulations need to be rated according to the International Age Rating Coalition (IARC) scheme. The system allows self-classification or advanced review, thus enabling users to make the correct decision about their participation in gambling activities. The MJSP ensures that digital communications and advertising directing users to age-inappropriate or prohibited content shall also be considered during the process of age rating.
Content Considerations and User-Generated Material
The new guidelines also provide for content hosted by third parties or other users. Features or features of the apps that facilitate, provide, or incite participation in betting activity must be considered when assigning age ratings. These features that facilitate interaction with probabilities of actual gambling or chance games may incite or encourage participation in betting.
By incorporating these features, MJSP will avoid applications from circumventing the measures by relying on user-generated content or indirect marketing methods. Operators and developers will be required to adopt protection measures and open labeling to comply with the new regime.
Impact on the Gambling Industry
The ordinance complements the law tabled in December 2023, which legalized and regulated certain betting and gaming in Brazil. Cementing the need for age classification and transparent content descriptors, the government further protects consumers while promoting responsible gaming conduct. The ordinance also provides open legal guidelines for operators and app developers, preventing risks of underage gambling and misleading digital content.
The regulatory impulse should extend comprehensively to new as well as existing gambling applications, so that the whole range of stakeholders, ranging from consumers to operators, is governed by internationally harmonizable standards of openness and security in online gaming contexts.
Looking Forward
With its March 17, 2026, enforcement date, operators now have a window of time wherein they can implement the necessary changes and harmonize their operations with the guidelines of the MJSP. By establishing clear age ratings and content standards, Brazil is taking a positive initiative in bringing gambling regulation into the modern digital era, promoting safety, transparency, and responsible participation.
This model is consistent with an increasing international movement towards fully regulating online gambling, especially in jurisdictions seeking to reconcile market development with social responsibility and consumer protection.
Source: BNL Data
