Brazil’s Science and Technology Committee (CCT) on Wednesday approved legislation that would sharply restrict betting advertising and sponsorship while introducing new consumer protections, product-risk rules and penalties for promoting unauthorized operators. The committee also approved an urgency request for consideration by the Senate Plenary.
Bill 2.470/2026, authored by Senator Damares Alves and six other senators, would amend the Betting Law governing fixed-odds wagering with measures addressing mental health, consumer protection and the family economy. Senator Alessandro Vieira issued a favorable opinion in the form of a substitute.
“This is a non-partisan initiative. It stems from society’s current understanding of the extent of the damage caused by so-called betting,” the rapporteur stated.
Advertising and promotional restrictions
The text would prohibit direct and indirect betting advertising across television, radio, print, outdoor media, streaming, podcasts, social networks, video platforms, apps, websites, blogs, forums, search engines and other internet environments. Instant messaging, SMS, email, notifications, algorithmically targeted advertising, telemarketing and behavioral profiling would also be covered.
Advertising in electronic games and esports, sports uniforms and equipment, public transportation, affiliate content, tipsters, comparison sites and other paid intermediaries would be banned. Bonuses, promotional credits, free bets, cashback, free spins, rewards and loyalty programs intended to encourage acquisition, retention or return would also be prohibited, alongside claims portraying betting as risk-free, a source of income, a financial solution, guaranteed profit or a way to recover losses.
Strictly institutional communication would remain permitted through an authorized operator’s own channels, including websites, apps and customer service platforms, but would be limited to identification, access information, self-exclusion and blocking mechanisms, official channels and mandatory warnings.
Promises of winnings, bonuses, invitations to bet, boosting and attention-retention features would be prohibited. Operators would also be responsible for paid or incentivized affiliates, agencies, influencers and other third parties.
Sponsorship ban and player protections
Betting companies would be barred from sponsoring sports clubs, federations, leagues, competitions, broadcasts, cultural events, shows, educational and social projects, philanthropic and civil society organizations, political parties, candidates and election campaigns, as well as influencers, athletes, artists and celebrities. The ban includes naming rights, licensing, ambassadors and other promotional associations.
Existing sponsorship contracts would receive 24 months to adapt or terminate, while signing, renewing or extending agreements would only be allowed when they expire within that period. Sponsorship involving minors, schools and youth sports would be prohibited, as would brand associations with mental health, suicide prevention, financial education, gambling disorder treatment, social assistance, over-indebtedness prevention or protection of vulnerable families.
Operators could not use information from self-excluded people, those receiving treatment, or users who blocked marketing to reactivate them. Intrusive offers to users showing reduced gambling activity, significant losses, activated limits or other risky behavior would also be prohibited. Exploiting unemployment, debt, grief, anxiety, depression, loneliness and other vulnerable circumstances to attract or retain gamblers would be banned.
Permanent age verification, self-exclusion across all authorized operators, voluntary wagering and time limits, and information on users’ gambling behavior would be required. Credit card betting, predictive models identifying moments of vulnerability and platform designs that hinder users from stopping, leaving or activating limits would also be prohibited.
Operators would need permanent warnings on compulsive gambling, indebtedness and asset loss, backed by verifiable protocols for detecting risky behavior.
Product risk rules and platform obligations
Products would be classified according to potential harm, considering factors such as rapid outcomes, continuous repetition, random results, intermittent rewards, near misses, loss-recovery incentives and mechanisms encouraging impulsive or increasing bets.
Products would require prior evaluation by a competent federal executive body. High-risk products would face harm-reduction measures, while excessively risky products, including roulette, slot machines, collision games and simulated virtual sports, could not be offered.
Platforms, hosting services, application providers and media intermediaries would have to remove irregular advertising following specific notification from authorities, with rights to a fair hearing and full defense. Journalistic, academic, parliamentary, artistic and opinion content would remain protected.
Operators and related companies would also be prohibited from acquiring, licensing, or exploiting rights to sporting events held in Brazil. Violations would fall under the sanctions framework of Law 14.790 of 2023, which allows fines of up to BRL2 billion ($392.8 million).
Criminal penalties and regulatory safeguards
Promoting unauthorized betting operators would become a crime punishable by one to five years in prison, with increases of one-sixth to two-thirds for influencers, athletes, or other well-known people. The proposal also establishes a 24-month quarantine between significant betting-sector roles and certain regulatory positions, applying in both directions.
The legislation retains requirements for aggregated and anonymized data sharing, institutional cooperation and government monitoring of betting impacts, alongside health-professional training, updated care protocols and periodic public information.