Brazil’s Secretariat of Prizes and Bets (SPA), a division of the Ministry of Finance, has officially voiced its opposition to Bill 3563/2024, which proposes a total ban on betting advertisements and sponsorships.
In an interview with Jota, SPA’s deputy secretary, Daniele Correa Cardoso, argued that a blanket ban would likely backfire by erasing the line between legal and illegal operators.
Differentiating the Legal Market
In context of Bill 3563/2024, the SPA maintains that advertising is not just a commercial luxury but a vital tool for bettor protection during Brazil’s transition to a fully regulated market. If licensed companies are silenced, bettors may unknowingly drift toward illicit platforms that offer no player protections.
“Commercial communication of licensed platforms is the primary tool for users to differentiate legal operators from illegal operators,” Cardoso explained.
The government’s current focus remains on dismantling the technical and financial infrastructure of the illegal market rather than silencing the legal one. So far, the SPA and the National Telecommunications Agency (Anatel) have successfully blocked over 25,000 illegal online betting sites.
World Cup 2026 Strategy
As the 2026 FIFA World Cup draws near, the SPA is ramping up digital monitoring to prevent unlicensed offshore companies from targeting Brazilians. The regulator is establishing technical cooperation with Conar (The National Advertising Self-Regulation Council) to automate the detection and immediate removal of irregular advertising by digital influencers and online affiliates.
