Brazil’s Ministry of Finance will require licensed betting advertisements to carry health-style warnings such as “Betting makes you lose money” under new advertising rules published on Friday, as the government tightens oversight of the country’s regulated online gambling market.
The new regulations, announced by Finance Minister Dario Durigan, will require all licensed betting advertisements to display warnings from the Ministry of Finance similar to those used for tobacco and alcohol products. The mandatory messages will include “Betting makes you lose money,” “Betting can cause addiction,” and “Betting is not an investment.”
A separate ordinance, to be issued jointly with the Ministry of Justice, will introduce additional measures targeting illegal betting operators. Durigan said media outlets will be prohibited from advertising betting companies that are not authorised to operate in Brazil.
“We are imposing restrictions on betting advertisements in the country,” Durigan said. “We have zero tolerance for illegal operators.”
“Illegal betting operations are not authorised in any way, and neither advertisers nor media outlets are permitted to run any advertising involving a company not authorised to operate in the market,” he added.
Under the new rules, betting advertisements will be barred from creating a sense of urgency, presenting betting as an investment or financial solution, displaying winnings or prize histories to encourage gambling, or otherwise misleading consumers.
The measures also restrict the role of commentators, experts and play-by-play announcers in betting promotions. They will be prohibited from using their authority or technical expertise to encourage betting or recommend specific wagers.
“[It is not permissible to mix] commentary from an expert or specialist… with statements claiming that a particular bet is the best choice or that a specific path should be taken, thereby inducing the consumer to adopt a certain practice under the guise of technical backing. That must not be done,” Durigan said.
He added: “No displaying winnings as bait. No selling betting as a way to make easy money, or as an investment or financial solution for families.”
Operators that fail to comply with the advertising rules could face fines of up to 20% of their revenue, suspension of operations for up to 180 days or, in cases of serious repeat offences, revocation of their licence.
National Consumer Secretary Ricardo Morishita said illegal betting advertisements could result in fines of up to approximately BRL14 million ($2.7 million). The government also said licensed operators will be held responsible if influencers they hire publish advertising that breaches the rules, while offending content may be removed.
Durigan reported authorities have already taken down 56,000 betting websites and removed nearly 1,000 influencer profiles as part of enforcement efforts. He added that nearly one million bettors prohibited from gambling under Brazilian law had been required to self-exclude from betting platforms.
“There is a ban preventing beneficiaries of government programmes from accessing these sites – a Supreme Court ruling. This also applies to people participating in [debt renegotiation programme] Desenrola,” Durigan said.
He added that authorised betting companies have been assisting regulators by reporting illegal operators.
Brazil established a legal framework for sports betting in 2018, introduced broader regulatory rules through Congress in 2023, created the Secretariat of Prizes and Bets within the Ministry of Finance in 2024, and began collecting licence fees and enforcing the new regulatory regime in 2025.
Original article: https://www.yogonet.com/international/news/2026/07/13/125318-brazil-to-require-health-warnings-on-betting-ads-under-tougher-advertising-rules
