Senator Humberto Costa tabled a bill at the Brazilian National Congress, or Congresso Nacional, on August 19, 2025. The bill proposes reforms to counter gambling harm, with provisions including imposing age limits, betting caps, and a ban on advertisements that promote gambling.
New Brazilian Gambling Reform Bill: Key Propositions Summarised
- The draft bill proposes several amendments to Brazil’s fixed odds betting law, including a ban on ads outside the 10 pm to 6 am window on television, radio, and video streaming platforms.
- Accordingly, gambling marketing in schools and colleges, or ads targeting individuals under 21 years, would be prohibited. Sponsorships or display boards at public places, including festivals, cultural events, and sporting arenas, would also be banned.
- The bill also proposes a monthly deposit limit of BRL1,518 (approximately €237), aligning with the country’s average monthly wage. All operators targeting Brazilian consumers will be required to enforce the limit if the bill passes.
Brazil Senator Proposes Gambling Reforms
Senator Humberto Costa presented PL 3,754/2025 to the Brazilian Congress. The draft law proposes to amend several articles of Law 14,790/2023, which oversees the lottery modality of fixed-odds bets in Brazil. Proposed revisions include age limits, restrictions on gambling ads, and monthly deposit limits.
If Congress approves the bill, Brazil’s minimum gambling age will be set at 21 years. Additionally, gambling ads will only be broadcast over television, radio, and streaming platforms between 10 PM and 6 AM. Costa’s bill also prevents gambling sponsorships at sporting, festive, and artistic events, to keep gambling away from cultural events.
Player deposits will also be capped at BRL 1,518 (approximately €237), the average monthly minimum wage. All operators will be required to comply with the law if it comes into force. The senator claims this is a wake-up call against gambling harm, which mostly affects the younger generation. Costa commented:
This project is not just a piece of legislation; it’s a wake-up call against a true social epidemic, which affects, above all, our young people, the most vulnerable, those who should be focused on studying, working and building their dreams, and not trapped in screens that promise easy fortune, but deliver ruin, debt and despair.
PL 3,754/2025 is currently waiting for Congressional approval. If it gets the necessary approval, the law could come into force within 90 days. This gambling reform is part of a wider effort by the Brazilian government to regulate the domestic iGaming sector. The new laws could set a precedent for its LATAM neighbours and revolutionise the market.
Brazil’s Regulated Betting Industry Facing the Heat
As the Brazilian iGaming industry continues to expand, lawmakers must adapt to the dynamic needs and safety concerns to nurture the sector sustainably. Despite regulating the market in early 2025, illicit iGaming platforms continue to thrive in the absence of strict enforcement efforts.
Additionally, the industry is under constant pressure from the administration. The best example is the ban on sports betting ads by influencers and athletes. Although a blanket ban on all gambling commercials has been avoided, some experts believe that the ban was to prevent a public backlash against the newly formed industry.
Supporting his decision, Senator Costa emphasised public health concerns, citing reports of an increase in online gambling activity among Brazilians and the need for greater government oversight. He also criticised untargeted marketing campaigns that exploit young adults and vulnerable sections of society.
Highlighting the unchecked rise of fixed-odds betting and untargeted gambling ads bombarding consumers, Costa explained that the authorities must take stern steps. The Senator also called on his peers for support, calling the bill a commitment to public health and social protection. Costa explained the rationale behind the bill as follows:
This project seeks to balance economic activity with the uncompromising defence of the health and financial stability of Brazilian citizens, qualifying the regulation of the sector to a standard of excellence in social responsibility.