IBJR: Banning ads is Senate's best gift to black market
After the favorable vote for the advertising ban in the Science and Technology Commission, the Brazilian Institute of Responsible Gaming warns that the measure will leave consumers "blind," preventing them from distinguishing between legal and illegal platforms.
Brazil's regulated industry has decided not to remain silent in the face of what it considers a serious legislative mistake. On Wednesday, February 4, while the Senate's Science and Technology Commission (CCT) approved the bill to prohibit all commercial communication from the sector, the Brazilian Institute of Responsible Gaming (IBJR) issued a strong warning about the practical consequences of this decision.
The IBJR's position is clear: erasing legal companies from the media will not end gambling but will hand over the monopoly of attention to the illegal market. According to the entity, advertising is the only effective tool consumers have to know which operator has paid for their license, complies with the law, and pays taxes.
Advertising as an identity document
The institute's central argument, representing the main global and local brands operating in the country, is that the ban creates "blindness" in the user.
"Advertising is a legitimate and necessary tool. It plays an essential role by allowing the bettor to identify and differentiate licensed operators, supervised by the State, from those operating clandestinely without offering guarantees," the organization stated. By eliminating official communication channels, the State would be leveling down, placing a publicly traded company and a fraudulent site operated from a tax haven on the same plane of invisibility.
Silence does not protect
Another critical point in the statement is the educational function of marketing. The IBJR reminded that current campaigns not only seek customer conversion but also serve as a vehicle to convey Responsible Gaming messages, deposit limits, and self-exclusion tools.
"Excessive restrictions only weaken the regulated market," they affirmed. The logic is that clandestine platforms, not subject to any regulation, will continue to attract customers through alternative means (such as unmoderated social networks or direct messaging), while legal operators will lose the ability to promote safe gambling behaviors.
Finally, the entity reminded legislators that Brazil is not a no-man’s land. There is already a robust framework (Law 14.790/23 and SPA ordinances) and an active self-regulation system alongside CONAR. In fact, in 2024, 20% of complaints to CONAR were related to betting, demonstrating that advertising control mechanisms already exist and work, making a total ban unnecessary, which will now have to be debated in the Constitution and Justice Commission.
Tags: Brasil, IBJR, Brazil betting advertising, betting advertising regulation