Brazil advances gambling advertising curbs as Senate bill moves forward

Brazil’s regulated betting market is facing a significant political challenge after the Senate’s Science and Technology Committee approved a substitute version of legislation that would introduce extensive restrictions on gambling advertising, sponsorships and certain online gaming products. The measure remains under legislative consideration and does not currently represent a change in law.

The proposal is contained in PL 2470/2026, introduced in the Senate by Senator Damares Alves together with six other senators. The Senate record identifies Alessandro Vieira as the rapporteur and confirms that the Science and Technology Committee approved his substitute report on September 2, 2026. The matter has since moved to the Committee on Social Affairs where it is awaiting designation of a rapporteur.

A parallel proposal, PL 2478/2026, was introduced in the Chamber of Deputies on May 19, 2026. The Chamber record confirms that Pedro Campos and other deputies are behind that initiative, which has the same broad objective of amending Brazil’s betting legislation to strengthen protections relating to mental health, consumers and household finances.

The developments indicate that restrictions on the commercial presentation of betting services have become a significant legislative issue in Brazil.

Senate committee approves substitute proposal

The Senate committee’s decision followed consideration of a substitute text presented by Senator Alessandro Vieira. The proposal seeks to incorporate new requirements directly into Law No. 14.790/2023, the legal framework governing fixed-odds betting and online games in Brazil.

The stated objectives include stronger protection for mental health, consumers and family finances alongside measures designed to prevent or reduce gambling-related harm. The Senate’s official legislative summary identifies restrictions on advertising, sponsorships and product design among the principal elements of the proposal.

The committee also approved a request for urgency. However, the current Senate record shows that the bill is now with the Committee on Social Affairs rather than having already reached a final Senate vote. The legislation therefore remains a proposal and would require further parliamentary consideration before it could produce legal effects.

Alessandro Vieira presented the proposal as a public-policy response to concerns surrounding betting-related harm. During the legislative discussion he said:

“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 statement reflects the rationale advanced by supporters of the legislation and should not be interpreted as a final legal or judicial finding concerning the betting industry.

Broad restrictions on gambling advertising

One of the most consequential provisions concerns gambling advertising. Under the substitute text, commercial promotion of betting would face extensive restrictions across traditional and digital media.

The measures would cover television, radio, newspapers, outdoor advertising and various forms of online communication. Social media platforms, streaming services, applications, messaging channels and other digital environments would also be affected.

The proposal addresses not only conventional advertisements but also forms of marketing that can be used to encourage participation or maintain customer engagement. Affiliate content and tipster-related promotion are among the forms of commercial communication addressed by the proposal.

The substitute text would leave a narrower space for institutional communication by authorised operators through their own channels. Such communication would be subject to restrictions intended to prevent promotional messages from presenting betting as a source of income or financial opportunity.

These provisions would represent a major departure from Brazil’s current regulatory framework. Existing law already imposes advertising requirements and restrictions on claims about winnings and the targeting of minors. The Ministry of Finance has also strengthened advertising obligations during 2026 by introducing mandatory warning messages concerning gambling risks.

Betting sponsorships face major changes

The proposed restrictions extend beyond gambling advertising to sponsorship arrangements.

The substitute text would prohibit new sponsorship arrangements involving betting operators and sports clubs, competitions, sporting events and broadcasts. Certain cultural and social initiatives would also be affected.

Agreements involving influencers, athletes, artists and other public figures would face restrictions as well. Naming-rights arrangements and comparable promotional relationships would also fall within the broader approach to sponsorship.

Existing contracts would receive a transition period. Under the approved substitute, operators would have up to 24 months to adjust or terminate certain existing sponsorship arrangements. New agreements could not simply be created to extend the existing commercial model after the legislation takes effect.

This aspect of the proposal could have implications for Brazilian sport because betting brands have established a substantial commercial presence through sponsorship agreements. The proposal therefore goes beyond media regulation and addresses the wider relationship between betting operators and sports organisations.

High-risk online games could be removed

Another major element concerns the classification of betting and gaming products according to their potential level of risk.

The proposal would create categories for products regarded as presenting higher or excessive risks. Games involving random outcomes and rapid cycles of repeated participation could fall within the most restrictive category.

The substitute specifically addresses products such as roulette, slots and crash-style games. Simulated virtual sports and other products with comparable characteristics could also be assessed under the proposed framework.

Products classified as presenting excessive risk could be prohibited from being offered in Brazil. The proposal would consequently affect the availability of some online gaming products within the regulated market rather than merely changing how those products can be advertised.

The Senate’s legislative material confirms that product-risk classification is a central part of PL 2470/2026.

New penalties for promoting unauthorised operators

The legislation also seeks to strengthen enforcement against unauthorised betting operators.

The substitute would create a criminal offence relating to paid promotion of betting services that do not hold the required authorisation. The proposed basic penalty would be imprisonment for one to five years.

The text would provide for an increased penalty when the promoter is an influencer, athlete or person considered capable of reaching a particularly large audience. The policy objective is to place greater responsibility on individuals who commercially promote services that are not authorised in Brazil.

The proposal also contains financial and administrative sanctions for breaches of the regulatory framework. Reported provisions include significant fines as well as potential measures affecting an operator’s authorisation.

Because the text remains under legislative consideration, the precise consequences will depend on the final wording approved by Congress and any subsequent presidential action.

Transition periods could shape market adaptation

The substitute does not envisage every proposed restriction taking effect immediately.

Operators would have 365 days to discontinue gambling advertising covered by the new prohibition. Existing sponsorship contracts would have a longer transition period of up to 24 months.

Products classified in the excessive-risk category would face a substantially shorter adjustment period, with operators expected to stop offering those products within 90 days under the committee-approved text.

This staggered approach appears designed to provide different periods for marketing changes, contractual adjustments and product removal. It could nevertheless require considerable operational changes for licensed operators should the proposal ultimately become law.

Brazil’s existing framework remains in force

For the moment, Brazil’s existing regulated betting system remains the applicable framework.

Law No. 14.790/2023 established the legal basis for fixed-odds betting and online games. The Ministry of Finance states that operators need prior authorisation from the Secretariat of Prizes and Betting and that nationally authorised operators have been subject to the regulated system since January 1, 2025.

The government has also continued to expand responsible gambling and advertising requirements. In July 2026, new rules introduced mandatory warning messages for betting advertisements while increasing responsibilities for participants in the advertising chain.

Against that background, PL 2470/2026 would represent a further tightening of the regulatory model rather than an isolated adjustment to advertising rules.

What happens next?

The immediate legislative path remains important. Following approval by the Science and Technology Committee, PL 2470/2026 moved to the Senate’s Committee on Social Affairs. The official Senate record currently lists the bill as awaiting assignment of a rapporteur there.

The Chamber of Deputies is separately considering PL 2478/2026. Its legislative record shows that the proposal has been referred for consideration through a special committee process because it was assigned to more than four substantive committees.

Accordingly, the proposals should be viewed as part of an ongoing legislative debate rather than as enacted restrictions. Their final scope could change during committee discussions, amendments and later stages of parliamentary consideration.

Conclusion

Brazil’s latest betting debate places gambling advertising at the centre of a much broader discussion about how the regulated market should operate. PL 2470/2026 would address advertising, sponsorships, product design, consumer protection and enforcement within a single legislative framework.

The proposal is particularly significant because it could alter commercial relationships between betting operators and Brazilian sport while also changing the range of online gaming products available through the regulated system. At the same time, the proposed sanctions for promoting unauthorised services indicate a stronger enforcement focus on the boundary between licensed and unlicensed activity.

However, the legislation has not yet become law. The Senate’s own records show that further consideration remains necessary, while the Chamber is pursuing a parallel proposal. The practical impact on operators, media organisations, sports bodies and consumers will therefore depend on the final text and the outcome of Brazil’s legislative process.

For the market, the central issue is no longer simply how betting advertising should be regulated. The wider question is how Brazil intends to balance consumer protection and public-health objectives with the operation of a formal licensed market. The next stages in Congress will determine whether the country moves toward the extensive restrictions proposed in PL 2470/2026 or adopts a revised approach during further legislative negotiations.

FAQs

What is PL 2470/2026?
PL 2470/2026 is a Brazilian Senate bill seeking changes to Law No. 14.790/2023 involving mental health protection, consumer protection, family finances, advertising, sponsorships and the treatment of higher-risk betting products.

Who introduced PL 2470/2026?
The proposal was introduced by Senator Damares Alves together with Senators Izalci Lucas, Hamilton Mourão, Astronauta Marcos Pontes, Teresa Leitão, Humberto Costa and Otto Alencar.

Who is Alessandro Vieira?
Alessandro Vieira is the senator who served as rapporteur for PL 2470/2026 in the Science and Technology Committee and presented the substitute text approved by that committee.

Would the proposal ban gambling advertising?
The substitute approved by the Science and Technology Committee would impose very broad restrictions on commercial betting communication across traditional media and digital channels. The proposal remains subject to further legislative consideration.

Would betting sponsorships be prohibited?
The approved substitute would prohibit new betting sponsorship arrangements involving areas such as clubs, competitions and sporting broadcasts while providing transition arrangements for certain existing contracts.

Could some online casino games be prohibited?
Yes. The substitute establishes a proposed risk-classification system under which products considered to present excessive risk could no longer be offered in the Brazilian market.

What products are identified as higher risk?
The proposal addresses products including roulette, slots and crash-style games as examples of products that could fall within an excessive-risk category under the proposed framework.

Would influencers face criminal penalties?
The proposal would create a criminal offence for paid promotion of unauthorised betting operators. The proposed penalty could be increased when promotion is carried out by influencers, athletes or other people capable of reaching a large audience.

Is PL 2470/2026 already law?
No. The bill remains under legislative consideration. The Senate’s official record currently shows it moving from the Science and Technology Committee to the Committee on Social Affairs.

What is PL 2478/2026?
PL 2478/2026 is a parallel proposal in Brazil’s Chamber of Deputies addressing similar issues involving mental health, consumer protection, family finances, advertising, sponsorships and online betting.