Brazil
Brazil lawmakers debate tighter restrictions on betting advertising
By James Marrison - 3 September 2026
A Brazilian Senate hearing has highlighted divisions over proposed restrictions on betting advertising, with government and health representatives calling for tougher controls.
The debate took place on 1 September during a hearing of the Senate’s Science and Technology Committee on Bill 2,470/2026, which would tighten restrictions on advertising and sponsorship by fixed-odds betting operators.
Senator Alessandro Vieira, the bill’s rapporteur, said further discussion was needed but indicated the proposal was advancing.
“It is clear and evident that we have a lot to discuss and work on,” Vieira said.
The bill’s author, Senator Damares Alves, criticised the industry’s responsible gambling messaging. “They put it in such a romantic way: ‘Responsible gaming’,” she said, arguing that the terminology should better reflect the losses associated with gambling.
Health officials used the hearing to highlight concerns over gambling-related harm. Marcelo Kimati Dias, director of the Ministry of Health’s Department of Mental Health, Alcohol and Other Drugs, said around 25 million Brazilians used legal betting platforms in 2025.
Dias said people experiencing gambling disorders faced a suicide risk up to 15 times higher than the general population, while public-health treatment linked to games and betting increased 140% between 2018 and 2025.
“From the point of view of scale, it is a much bigger public-health problem, which develops very quickly,” Dias said.
Francisco Cordeiro, a national consultant to the Pan American Health Organization, cited research estimating that the wider social costs of betting substantially exceed the tax revenue generated by the sector.
“For every real that the state collects, the country spends at least around R$4 to deal with the damage,” he said.
However industry representatives challenged the suggestion that betting is a major driver of household indebtedness and highlighted the regulated sector’s economic contribution.
Carlos Lima, representing the Instituto Brasileiro do Jogo, cited research which he said placed betting among the least significant factors contributing to household debt. He also said the regulated sector generated R$9.6 billion in tax revenue, more than 15,500 direct and indirect jobs and around R$35 billion in gross turnover.
The Ministry of Health has developed a psychosocial care network providing information on gambling risks and a dedicated care pathway for people experiencing gambling problems. Dias noted that just 1% of betting revenue is allocated to the Ministry of Health.
The Finance Ministry highlighted the Centralised Self-Exclusion Platform, launched in December, which allows bettors to block their access to authorised betting platforms. More than one million people have used the tool, according to Andiara Maria Braga Maranhão, general coordinator of Responsible Gaming Monitoring at the Prizes and Betting Secretariat.
The Senate debate comes as Brazil’s advertising self-regulatory body CONAR has also moved to tighten rules governing betting advertising. The body recently approved changes to its rules for betting ads, adding further restrictions on how operators can promote their services.
