Brazil adopts ad restrictions on betting to protect minors

Normative Ordinance No 1,902, published on Friday (6 December), immediately adopted a number of restrictions laid out in July through Normative Ordinance No 1,231, which centred on how betting operators can advertise in Brazil.

Following a two-day hearing in November at the Federal Supreme Court (STF) to investigate the impacts of betting on the Brazilian population, a preliminary decision called for bans on advertising targeted towards minors.

The publication of Normative Ordinance No 1,902 means certain aspects of Normative Ordinance No 1,231 are now in effect. All other measures not specified in the ordinance will come into force on 1 January 2025, the launch date of the legal market in Brazil.

Which measures have been adopted in Brazil?

The ordinance immediately places four sections of Normative Ordinance 1,231’s Article 12 into effect.

This bans advertising that has children or adolescents as their target audience, as well as through channels where those under the age of 18 make up the majority of the audience.

Ads that use images of children or elements “particularly appealing” to minors are also banned. Meanwhile, betting cannot be associated with cultural activities for adolescents in Brazil.

Item I of Article 13 has also come into force. All communications from operators are now required to display age restrictions with the symbol ‘18+’ or a message reading “prohibited for people under 18”.

Brazil has already adopted section two of Article 17, barring operators from sponsoring children and encouraging gambling among adolescents.

The legislation also forbids companies from sponsoring children’s teams or events that are aimed primarily at adolescents.

For those measures, the rules for inspection, monitoring and sanctions will be implemented immediately so the SPA can ensure compliance.

For all other advertising restrictions, operators will only face such scrutiny from 1 January onwards.