Polarisation over gambling advertising rules in Brazil continues to escalate, opinions were put forward by varied corners to the country’s Senate.
It comes as the case is being considered over potential changes to the ‘Bets’ regulating betting regime.
Developments rumbled on in terms of ironing out the regulatory framework, in Brazilian advertising, as stakeholders were summoned by Senators’ Carlos Portinho (PL-RJ) and Jorge Kajuru (PSB-GO) to discuss further.
The current state of play is that the Secretariat of Prizes and Bets (SPA) has enabled solely licensed operators to advertise.
The regulatory framework currently progressing also looks to maintain that marketing must not be aimed at minors and also include responsible messaging.
In contention is whether there will be completely separate legislation around gambling market in Brazil, separate from the Bets regime.
Opposition over gambling advertising is fairly strong and vocal within the discussions, as Hermano Tavares, a psychiatrist from the University of São Paulo, underlined his concerns over marketing.
“Never in my life have I witnessed anyone handle a calamity with restraint,” he declared, likening gambling’s effect on the brain to that of alcohol and tobacco.
Brazil, he noted, “now leads the world in online betting accessibility — an unenviable achievement.”
Senator Eduardo Girão (Novo-CE), author of Bill No. 3405/2023, pressed for decisive action. “The evil must be cut at the root,” he insisted. With gambling prohibition politically unfeasible, banning its advertising, he argued, was the next best option.
Providing the other perspective to the argument, Eduardo Godoy of the Self-Regulation Forum emphasised the belief that amidst the rapidly evolving digital landscape “Prohibiting advertising is the worst available solution.”
The challenge, Godoy suggested, was compounded by the fast-moving media landscape. “Today we talk about influencers; tomorrow, it will be AI-driven avatars,” he said as he warned of the threat of strongent advertising frameworks becoming obsolete. Concerns about unintended consequences were shared by the betting industry. “If there is no advertising, how can users distinguish between licensed and unlicensed operators?” asked Heloisa Diniz of the Association of Bets and Fantasy Sport (ABFS).
