Senate Bill Bans Advertising of Sports Betting and Online Gambling
A bill currently under consideration in the Senate could prohibit the advertising, sponsorship, and promotion of fixed-odds betting and online games, as well as bets related to election results. Bill 3.563/2024 aims to curb the reach of advertising related to betting, in order to reduce damage to mental health and assets 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 that regulate online sports betting (Laws 13.756 of 2018 and 14.790 of 2023). Among the main changes are the prohibition of commercial exploitation of bets on elections and the ban on any form of advertising about betting in media such as radio, television, the internet, and social networks. It also includes a provision to prohibit the pre-installation of betting applications on electronic devices.
According to the senator, the inertia of previous administrations in regulating betting (authorized in Brazil since 2018) created a situation of "legal distortion." "Without proper regulation for five years, only this year, after the approval of Law 14.790 of 2023, through a project initiated by the Presidency of the Republic, was it possible to develop the sub-legal norms that will now govern this market of sports betting and online games," he states.
Bets should only be placed by agents authorized by the Ministry of Finance, which has already issued several regulations 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 points out.
In the project's justification, the author states that approximately 25% of the adult Brazilian population gambles on online games, such as the so-called "tiger game" and similar games. He also points out that the gambling market has negatively impacted other sectors of the economy, such as clothing, personal hygiene products, and even food.
Deceptive campaigns
The proposal, the senator emphasizes, aims to combat abusive practices by betting operators, who have been accused of promoting aggressive and misleading advertising campaigns. "These ads often portray betting as a quick way to get rich, inducing consumers to overspend and become over-indebted," he says.
Randolfe emphasizes that the measure seeks to balance freedom of expression and free enterprise with the need to protect public health and prevent indebtedness and loss of assets due to the risks of gambling addiction.
The bill is awaiting review by Senate committees before proceeding to a vote in the plenary session.
