The Consumer Protection Committee of the Chamber of Deputies debated, in a public hearing this Tuesday (11), the improvement of supervision and consumer protection rules in the sports betting market. Representatives from the government and consumer protection entities participated in the meeting.
The representative of the Ministry of Finance, Andiara Maria Braga Maranhão, stated that the so-called Bets Law made the sector safer and more transparent by establishing rules for granting, inspection and social responsibility. According to her, the creation of the Secretariat of Prizes and Bets (SPA), in January 2024, marked the beginning of a new phase of regulation, ending what she classified as a legal “gray zone”.
According to Andiara, the secretariat began to act in granting, monitoring and inspecting companies, in addition to issuing rules on payments, advertising, game certification and prevention of money laundering. She highlighted that Brazilian legislation is one of the most protective for consumers, as it recognizes the activity as a public service and fully applies the Consumer Protection Code.
The representative warned, however, that Bill 2663/25, which proposes to revoke the rule, would bring legal uncertainty and leave bettors more vulnerable.
Advertising and digital influencers
The representative of the Social Communication Secretariat of the Presidency of the Republic (Secom), Marina Giocondo Cardoso Pita, highlighted the need to advance in the regulation of digital advertising. She drew attention to the increase in influencers involved in irregular betting promotions and defended more transparency in advertising actions.
“Often, influencers advertise under the guise of betting offers. And this practice already constitutes irregularity”, he stated. Pita cited as an example the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), in the United States, which requires platforms to identify commercial content, favoring supervision and clarity for the public.
Procon-SP’s inspection director, Marcelo Pagoti, also criticized the volume of betting advertisements, especially at times aimed at children. “Procon is not against legalized betting, but advocates a greater balance. The consumer is the most vulnerable side of this relationship and needs more protection”, he said.
Pagoti reported that the body has registered an increase in complaints against betting houses and growth in debt related to gambling, including on legal platforms.
Representative Daniel Almeida (PCdoB-BA), author of the request for the hearing, stated that advertising is one of the main challenges of regulation. “The problem of advertising seems to me to be something very sensitive, because everyone is exposed to a large number of advertisements about betting every day,” he declared.
Blocking illegal websites
The representative of the Ministry of Sports, Giovanni Rocco Neto, recalled that Brazil is already the second largest betting market in the world, behind only the United States, and that more than half of the companies operating in the country are illegal.
Since the beginning of regulation, the Ministry of Finance has blocked more than 23 thousand clandestine websites. Currently, the blocking is done indirectly: the ministry identifies the websites and communicates it to the National Telecommunications Agency (Anatel), which asks internet providers to restrict the addresses.
Rocco defended that Congress grant direct powers to Anatel to carry out the blockades, without the need for intermediation. “The measure would bring significant progress in monitoring and combating illegal betting,” he stated.
Fonte: Gaming365 – Brasil
