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The online betting industry in Brazil took a significant step forward into a new regulatory era on July 17, when the new advertising rules were officially put into effect. The measures have been recently published by the Secretariat of Prizes and Betting (SPA), and are a major extension of the legal obligations for the operators.
The new system means that advertising agencies, influencers, traffic managers, media companies and other supporters of the promotion will now be legally liable for the gambling content they broadcast. Each individual in the ad chain should check if the betting company is on the list of companies licensed by the Ministry of Finance before launching any ad campaign.
The push for the regulatory changes began after complaints were made at the 2026 FIFA World Cup about the amount of gambling promotion being aired during football matches.
Mandatory Disclosures and New Advertising Restrictions
One of the biggest changes is that all betting advertisements now have to include responsible gambling warnings. Now warning statements must be prominently featured on promotional material about the dangers of gambling.
Additionally, the advertisers must provide the operator with their authorization number, the Corporate Taxpayer Registration Number (CNPJ), and the registered company name. Details should be gathered, stored and made available to consumers in a clear and verifiable manner during the entire course of an ad campaign.
The new rules also have tighter restrictions on marketing terminology. The advertisements can no longer induce a sense of urgency or emphasize previous successes or the investment opportunity associated with wagering.
Sports Broadcasts Face New Limitations
The rules also clarify the distinction between editorial and commercial content in sports coverage.
A ban on broadcasters and commentators from recommending betting sites or making any suggestions for bets during match analysis; betting site and wager recommendations by commentators and broadcasters while analysing matches are banned. The measure aims to stop the mixture of promotional and journalistic or editorial content.
Administrative fines of up to 20% of annual turnover, suspension of their licence for up to 180 days and revocation of authorisation to operate could be imposed on companies that break the new rules. Advertisers and promotional partners who do not comply could also be sanctioned according to Brazil’s Consumer Protection Code.
Stronger Oversight Targets Illegal Operators
The new regulations will make unauthorized gambling websites in Brazil harder to operate, the government said.
Based on the figures provided by LCA Consultoria, illegal operators estimated for the Brazilian betting market are in the range of 41% to 51%, totaling around BRL 39 billion in betting volume. This compares with the regulated market, which now has 85 companies with 187 websites, with over 25,000 illegal websites already taken down in the last 12 months.
Industry Sees Compliance Becoming Essential
New requirements to verify are an important advance to consolidate the regulated market, says Matheus Bastos, analyst at B2B network Matching Visions Brasil.
“It has always been good business practice that anyone who promotes a company knows what they are promoting and that is what is now enshrined in law”, he continued. “The difference is that there are now consequences for those who don’t do that verification.”
Agencies will have to embed compliance checks into their routine work, Bastos said.
In essence, “what this ordinance does is separate out the market that became professional, from the market that was still reliant on informality“, he said.
In the context of the current World Cup, he said, “The World Cup magnifies everything; mistakes, too, and no one is better prepared for this time than everyone is. The bar has been raised for everybody, at the same time, and those who did prepare in advance will go through this period with less disruption.”
Source: iGaming Brasil
