Brazil’s National Consumer Secretariat (Senacon) has issued an order requesting that a proposed ban on certain gambling promotions be put in place with immediate effect.
Order (No 2,344/2024) requests that the government take action to ban all betting bonuses and restrict the promotion of gambling products to protect minors and problem gamblers.
In it’s order Senacon stated that the purpose of the measure is to:
“monitor the online gaming and betting market regarding bonuses and advertising of betting games to prevent and combat over-indebtedness and also ensure the safety of vulnerable individuals in consumer relationships, with special attention to hyper-vulnerable individuals such as children and adolescents.”
New regulations outlined in the measure include:
- Suspension of any advertising of rewards related to advance payments, bonuses for placing bets
- Suspension of any advertising of fixed-odds online betting games for children and adolescents
The measure also requires that all licensed gambling operators must submit the measures put in place to comply with the new measures within 10 days of notification.
If a company fails to comply with the new measures, they will be subject to daily fines of R$50,000 (US$8,700) until it is fully compliant.
Bonus Ban Latest Step to Combat Problem Gambling
Earlier in November, Minister Luis Fux of Brazil’s Federal Supreme Court submitted an injunction to prevent the use of Bolsa Familia social welfare funds for gambling with the intention of enforcing it immediately.
A report from the Central Bank earlier this year revealed that in August alone, 5 million social benefits recipients collectively spent over R$3 billion ($540 million) on online gambling platforms using the Pix payment system. On average, each individual spent approximately R$100 ($18).
This expenditure accounts for nearly 20% of the monthly budget for the Bolsa Família program, which supports 21 million families with an average monthly payment of R$685 ($126).
iGaming writer with over a decade of experience in sports betting and online casino reporting.
