Zona de Azar Brazil – Brazil: Bill Prohibits Advertising of Sports Betting and Online Games

Brazil.- September 27, 2024, www.zonadeazar.com. A bill under discussion in the Senate may prohibit the advertising, sponsorship, and promotion of fixed-odds betting and online games, as well as betting related to election results.

Bill 3.563/2024 aims to curb the reach of betting advertisements in order to reduce the damage to mental health and financial losses caused by addiction to betting and online games, argues the author of the proposal, Senator Randolfe Rodrigues (PT-AP).

Bill 3.563/2024 amends the laws regulating online sports betting (Laws 13.756 of 2018 and 14.790 of 2023). Among the main changes are the prohibition of commercial exploitation of betting on elections and the ban on any form of betting advertising on media such as radio, television, internet, and social media. It also includes a ban on the pre-installation of betting apps on electronic devices.

According to the senator, the previous administrations’ inertia in regulating betting (authorized in Brazil since 2018) created a situation of “legal distortion.” “Without proper regulation for five years, it was only this year, after the approval of Law 14.790 of 2023, through a project initiated by the Presidency of the Republic, that it was possible to draft the infra-legal norms that will now guide this market of sports betting and online games,” he stated.

Bets should only be placed by agents authorized by the Ministry of Finance, which has already issued several rules and received authorization requests from 108 companies interested in operating legally in the country. However, in recent months, there have been many cases involving abuses by unauthorized betting operators who operate without rules, promoting various types of abusive advertising, Randolfe emphasizes.

In the justification for the bill, the author mentions that about 25% of the adult Brazilian population bets on online games, such as the so-called “tigrinho” game and similar ones. He also points out that the betting market has negatively impacted other sectors of the economy, such as clothing, personal hygiene products, and even food.

Deceptive Campaigns

The senator emphasizes that the proposal aims to combat abusive practices by betting operators, who have been accused of promoting aggressive and deceptive advertising campaigns. “These ads often portray betting as a quick way to get rich, leading consumers to overspend and become heavily indebted,” he says.

Randolfe stresses that the measure seeks to balance freedom of expression and free enterprise with the need to protect public health and prevent debt and financial loss, due to the risks of betting addiction.

The bill is awaiting referral to Senate committees for review before being voted on in the Plenary.

Camily Oliveira under the supervision of Patrícia Oliveira. Source: Agência Senado.

Edited by: @_fonta www.zonadeazar.com