Before the Senate approval on Wednesday, clubs from the Brazilian Football League (Libra) released a statement warning of a “risk of financial collapse” as a result of the bill. Rapporteur Carlos Portinho responded by saying that “clubs have been bankrupt for a long time due to mismanagement.”
“We believe the most effective way to protect society is through responsible information and communication. Since regulation began, formal companies in the sector have reinforced strict guidelines that ensure educational campaigns aligned with the principles of responsible gaming. Legal advertising, supported by institutions like Conar, is an ally in raising public awareness and combating illegal practices. Absolute restrictions, without technical debate, can lead to unintended consequences and weaken consumer education,” said Ivan Dutra, CEO of LuckBet.
“Generic and poorly grounded restrictions can indeed be harmful. The market needs clear rules, not prohibitions that only push the activity into informality. The most efficient path is responsible regulation, with objective criteria, active oversight, and a focus on consumer protection. Advertising plays an important role in ensuring transparency in the sector, provided it is done responsibly,” added João Fraga, CEO of Paag, a techfin offering technological solutions for the iGaming sector.
Clinical and organizational psychologist and Chief Knowledge Officer (CKO) at EBAC, Cristiano Costa believes the current debate is essential for generating understanding about issues involving sports betting—a subject largely neglected until the recent ‘Bets’ boom in Brazil.
“All good communication involves message, environment, and context. As a psychologist, I see this as a unique opportunity to secure reliable information, spaces, and consistent resources to promote mental health in Brazil—something very rare in our country and in our field of work,” said Cristiano.
The ‘Bets’ market was regulated, and since January 1st of this year, companies officially licensed by the government have followed rules on commercial content—whether physical or on social media—with a focus on fighting addiction and promoting responsible gambling.
Concern from ANJL
The National Association of Games and Lotteries (ANJL) expressed concern over the bill’s approval, arguing that the restrictions could boost the illegal ‘Bets’ market. According to the organization, advertising is a key tool to differentiate licensed platforms from illegal websites, which often target minors. The ANJL points out that countries like Spain and Italy backed off from similar measures due to enforcement issues and the growth of the illegal market.
“We understand that any restriction on advertising at this moment, in the early stages of sports betting regulation in Brazil, will give a great advantage to companies operating illegally, as they face no limits and act in ways that legal entities cannot. So, restrictions may come—but only in the future, with comprehensive study of the issue to avoid rewarding lawbreakers,” said Plínio Lemos Jorge, president of the ANJL.
“Clubs got addicted to ‘Bets’”
Advertising for electronic betting could face new restrictions. The Senate Sports Committee (CEsp) approved on Wednesday a bill that creates rules for advertising fixed-odds betting, known as ‘Bets’. These include a ban on using images or featuring athletes, artists, broadcasters, influencers, or public figures in communication, advertising, and marketing campaigns broadcast via radio, TV, social media, or the internet. The airing times for such ads will also be restricted.
The bill was proposed by Senator Styvenson Valentim and received a favorable opinion from Senator Carlos Portinho in the form of a substitute. Portinho disagrees with the stance of betting companies and argues that they failed to self-regulate effectively. According to him, merely including the phrase “play responsibly” in ads is not enough to address addiction.
“One year after this law was passed, our society is sick—completely addicted to ‘Bets’. Football clubs got addicted to ‘Bets’. Media companies got addicted to ‘Bets’, to the ads, to the money they receive from ‘Bets’. And with this pandemic, we must act to regulate. The original bill by Senator Styvenson aims to ban all advertising of ‘Bets’. We have heard from many sectors. There were two public hearings that contributed greatly to this final version,” said the rapporteur during the session.
Four amendments were added to the bill, three of them authored by Senator Eduardo Girão, who is also behind bill 3.405/2023—one of the proposals calling for a total ban on all sports betting advertising, which was ultimately shelved. He advocates for the most radical regulation, arguing that gambling addiction is driving families into debt, illness, and, in some cases, even suicide.
“Clubs got addicted to ‘Bets’. Now they can’t go without them. Not long ago, they didn’t have this and were sponsored by construction companies, banks—and still are. But no, now they want the easy money from ‘Bets’, which is killing fans. It’s self-cannibalism,” said Girão.
Source: GMB
