Rio de Janeiro Bans Betting Ads in Public Spaces, Federal Government Tightens National Rules

Rio de Janeiro has become the first Brazilian state capital to prohibit outdoor advertising for fixed-odds betting platforms and online gambling applications across the municipality. The restriction took effect on July 13, 2026, under Decree No. 58,274, signed by Mayor Eduardo Cavaliere and published in the city’s official gazette. The measure targets advertisements on street furniture, municipal property, city-sponsored events, and any other location requiring municipal authorization, license, permit, or concession.

The ban covers a wide range of promotional content, including trademarks, business names, logos, slogans, mascots, and visual elements that directly or indirectly identify licensed betting operators. It also applies to campaigns for bonuses, prizes, or incentives linked to gambling. Municipal agencies must enforce the restriction in all contracts, concessions, and permits involving advertising on public property or spaces subject to municipal regulatory authority. “The Rio de Janeiro City Hall will not accept the use of outdoor advertising … to promote an activity that has caused indebtedness, compulsion, and destroyed Rio and Brazilian families,” Cavaliere said. The city cited the negative impact of overexposure to betting ads on mental health, particularly among children and adolescents, as a justification for the decree.

Enforcement and Compliance

The Licensing and Inspection Coordination Office (CLF) is responsible for monitoring compliance and can order the immediate removal of noncompliant advertisements. Advertisers and advertising companies have a maximum 10-day grace period from the decree’s publication to remove existing ads and adapt their structures; fines are suspended during this window but apply afterward. Violators face penalties under Article 124 of Law No. 691 of 1984, as amended, including revocation or annulment of advertising licenses and authorizations. On the first day of enforcement, municipal officers began covering or removing existing billboards. At the Siqueira Campos subway station in Copacabana, they replaced a betting platform ad with a municipal banner warning that online betting can cause addiction, debt, and family breakdown.

Federal Advertising Curbs

The municipal action came just days after Brazil’s federal government published new ordinances tightening advertising rules for licensed betting operators nationwide. Interministerial Ordinance No. 73, signed by the Finance Ministry, Justice Ministry, and Presidential Communications Secretariat, prohibits ads that portray fixed-odds betting as an investment, extra income, or a solution to financial problems. It also bans messages that encourage immediate wagers or use sports analysis to induce betting during live events. Separately, Finance Ministry Ordinance No. 1,964 requires all betting advertisements to include mandatory warning labels such as “betting is not an investment” and “betting makes you lose money.” The warnings must occupy at least 10% of the ad space or duration and be accompanied by a “+18” notice. Operators that fail to comply face fines of up to 20% of revenue and suspensions of up to 180 days, with maximum penalties around BRL14 million for illegal ads.

Broader Regulatory Landscape

Enforcement of the federal rules is handled by the Secretariat for Prizes and Betting, which has nationwide authority over betting operations. According to government data, authorities initiated 66 supervisory proceedings involving 93 betting operators during the first half of 2025, resulting in 35 sanctions. The new ordinances take effect on July 17, 2026, giving operators approximately one week to align their advertising with the updated requirements. Legal experts note that the regulatory environment remains turbulent, with escalating scrutiny and public pressure. The Brazilian Institute for Responsible Gaming has also issued voluntary self-regulation guidelines, but the official framework is now tightening at both municipal and federal levels, signaling a coordinated push to curb gambling promotion across the country.