Brazil advances bill banning betting advertising targeting minors
The Brazilian legislature has reportedly advanced a bill which intends to ban betting advertising targeted towards minors. Approval for the bill was granted by the Chamber of Deputies’ Commission on Social Security, Social Assistance, Childhood, Adolescence, and Family.
Details of Bill PL 3724/2024, and what restrictions it would introduce
The bill, which would ban the presence of minors in advertising for products such as lotteries and online betting sites, will now continue advancing in the state legislature.
Lawmakers supporting the bill have said the aim is to strengthen existing regulations, both in physical spaces and online, where gambling content is garnering greater attention through digital means, such as social media.
As indicated on the Brazilian Chamber of Deputies’ online portal, the proposition amends the Statute of the Child and Adolescent.
Specifically, the text that was approved and advanced was presented by Deputy Meire Serafim. The original bill, known as PL 3724/2024, was initially presented by Deputy Túlio Gadêlha.
Furthermore, as reported by local media, the new proposal was developed following discussions to improve existing laws and the aforementioned statute, and is intended to close certain loopholes in existing legislation and regulations while also updating the statute.
During her submission of the report, Serafim said that although consumption and purchases related to gambling for minors were already prohibited, there was no law specifically dealing with advertising, and so this bill is intended to address that gap.
Through the proposed bill, advertising that promotes betting or gambling products to underage audiences would be considered an administrative offence. Lawmakers have also expressed concerns about the potential influence that internet celebrities may have in promoting such products.
Among the penalties proposed in the bill for companies and betting agencies are administrative fines. Gadêlha’s proposal states that fines could range from R$3,000.00 to R$10,000.00, with multiplied amounts of up to ten or a hundred becoming applicable in cases of recidivism or non-compliance by agents and gambling companies.
The highest penalties would apply to operators who arrange advertisements featuring minors participating in or promoting gambling.
What’s next for the bill
As per Brazilian legislative procedure, the bill is now set to be reviewed by the Committee on the Constitution and Justice.
If approved, it will then need final approval by both chambers of Congress, after which the President of the Federative Republic of Brazil would need to sign it into law so that it comes into force.
President Lula and his government have expressed interest in gambling reforms and stricter controls on the Brazilian online gambling sector, with President Lula previously having said that he would support closing down the country’s fixed-odds betting market.
This bill’s advancement appears to coincide with ongoing discussions in Brazil on responsible gambling regulation. This is while other bills, such as PL 2985/2023, which aims to enact tighter controls on advertising for fixed-odds betting, are also progressing and being discussed within the Brazilian legislature.
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