SBC News Voice of the Sports Betting Industry
The newly formed Brazilian Institute for Responsible Gaming (IBJR) has announced a self-regulated code for betting advertising, titled the “Brazilian Code for Advertising Self-Regulation”, published in anticipation of the government concluding its federal framework to legalise sports betting.
The advertising code was announced as the first major initiative of the Trade Body that was officially formed on 9 May in Brasilia. Measures include a ban on televised betting advertisements until after 9 pm.
The aim is to reduce minors’ exposure to betting-related content and foster responsible public communications from the start of Brazil’s imminent sports betting regime.
The prohibition applies from 6am-to-9pm, with exceptions for ads broadcast during or one hour before or after televised live sports events – as the IBJR replicates UK gambling’s existing watershed restrictions.
André Gelfi, the President of the IBJR and managing partner for Betsson in Brazil, stated, “The creation of appropriate windows of time for the broadcast of adverts for sports betting aims to reduce the access of minors to this type of content, avoiding their curiosity and desire to consume these types of entertainment products.”
“The Code proposes guidelines for sports betting operators, agencies, and communication vehicles to participate in the promotion of this entertainment market to the Brazilian public, regardless of imminent regulation.”
As such, the code calls for operators to refrain from using celebrity endorsers or influencers who primarily appeal to minors or are aged under 25. The inclusion of responsible gambling messaging in advertisements is encouraged, and betting logos are prohibited on any sports merchandise targeted at children.
The self-regulatory code is a significant move, considering that Brazilian government officials are still working on the final touches of a presidential decree to implement a licensing system for online sports betting. This decree, expected to be published imminently, follows a federal law passed in 2018 and is set to address tax rates, licensing fees, penalties, and other legal restrictions. More specific advertising rules may follow in secondary ordinances once the decree is approved by Congress.
The IBJR is made up of leading Brazilian operators such of bet365, Flutter, Entain, Betsson Group, Betway Group, Yolo Group, NetBet Group, KTO Group, and Rei do Pitaco, who have committed to follow the code and further measures to be adopted.
Gelfi continued: “All members of the IBJR have publicly committed to follow the code to demonstrate that it is possible to promote the sector in a responsible way towards bettors, operators, and government.”
He stressed that the objective is to demonstrate that it is possible to promote the betting sector responsibly to bettors, operators, and the government, setting a standard for marketing practices in the sector. This initiative is a key step as Brazil progresses towards a regulated market for online betting.
As Brazil’s government moves to finalise its federal sports betting, IBJR cited that it members are keen on “fostering debate on the regulation of gambling in Brazil, contributing with information to safeguard the development of clear rules and directions so that sports betting companies can operate legally, protecting the interests of players and civil society”
