Brazil's New Betting Ad Rules: Safeguards vs. Overreach

Brazil’s government has enacted two ordinances that overhaul advertising for fixed-odds betting, aiming to curb social harms while raising concerns over possible overregulation. Valter Delfraro, director of Regulatory Affairs at Oddsgate, offers an industry perspective on the balance between consumer protection and the risk of driving bettors toward unlicensed operators.

Mandatory Warnings and Broader Restrictions

Ordinance SPA/MF No. 1,964/2026, published on July 3, 2026, by the Secretariat of Prizes and Betting, requires all betting ads to carry standard health warnings. Messages such as “Betting can cause addiction,” “Betting makes you lose money,” and “Betting is not an investment” must appear in a horizontal format, occupying at least 10% of the advertisement’s area. The goal, Delfraro notes, is to constantly remind consumers of gambling’s risks and prevent advertising from glamorising betting.

A week later, on July 10, Interministerial Ordinance No. 73/2026 was signed by the Ministries of Finance, Justice and Public Security, and the Secretariat of Social Communication. It prohibits misleading advertising, bans expert commentary encouraging bets on specific games, blocks promotion of unauthorised operators, and offers special protection for children, teenagers, and vulnerable groups. Oversight will now be shared among bodies including Senacon/MJSP and the National Secretariat for Digital Rights.

Positive Steps Toward Accountability

Delfraro welcomes the ordinances as progress. They hold companies and media agents to clear standards, protect consumers from abusive practices, align the sector with Brazil’s Consumer Protection Code, and bring transparency to a multibillion-real market that attracts many young and vulnerable people. “In a country where access to digital betting is growing exponentially, ignoring the risks would be irresponsible,” he says, adding that the government is right to impose limits and warnings.

The Peril of Pushing Betting Underground

Yet Delfraro warns that regulation must not become censorship or a total ban. Gambling already involves millions of Brazilians and moves significant money; pretending otherwise “means sweeping under the rug an issue that needs to be openly discussed.” He argues that silence does not eliminate the problem—it pushes activity toward illegal channels beyond oversight. Education, he stresses, is more effective than repression. “Teaching about risks, personal finances and addiction is the most responsible way to address the phenomenon.” Radical prohibition, he adds, creates social hypocrisy and allows the problem to grow in the shadows.

International examples show that countries investing in educational campaigns and responsible gaming programs can reduce addiction without suffocating the legal market. Delfraro points out that the illegal betting market will always exist, and suffocating the authorised sector only creates space for unlicensed operators, which pose greater risks to consumers. The real choice, he says, is not between betting or no betting, but between regulated gambling with rules and transparency, or unregulated informality with no guarantees.

Conclusion: Speaking Is Protecting

Delfraro concludes that ordinances No. 1,964/2026 and No. 73/2026 are important steps, but Brazil must go further. The true solution lies not in banning or hiding, but in educating and raising awareness. “Society needs to openly discuss risks and responsibilities, because not talking about them only perpetuates ignorance.” Combining strong regulation with information and prevention policies, he believes, is the only way to prevent gambling from becoming an invisible—and therefore more dangerous—problem.