Brazil moves to restrict sports betting advertising and commentary

Brazil is intensifying efforts to regulate the sports betting industry through legislative and municipal actions. President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has criticized betting platforms, labeling them an “induction to addiction” rather than a game, and promised new government measures to protect citizens from gambling-related suffering and debt.

At the legislative level, Bill 3265/26 is under analysis in the Chamber of Deputies. The proposal seeks to prohibit sports commentators, narrators, and reporters from mentioning betting odds or linking athlete performance to gambling outcomes during live broadcasts on radio, TV, and streaming services. To maintain a distinction between sports journalism and commercial interests, the bill allows only certified “sports tipsters” to provide betting information, provided they do not act as broadcasters or reporters.

On a local level, the municipality of Pelotas in Rio Grande do Sul has enacted legislation restricting betting advertising in public spaces. The law prohibits the use of municipal assets—including public buildings, parks, schools, and transport terminals—for displaying betting brands, logos, or slogans. This restriction applies to both physical and digital advertising formats on government property.