Brazilian Senate candidate Carlos Jordy said he would seek to ban online betting if elected to represent Rio de Janeiro. He argued that betting harms families; the source also reports that presidential candidate Flávio Bolsonaro is considering tighter restrictions, with no decision on a ban yet.
A proposed ban could affect online betting operators if it becomes part of a future legislative agenda.
The day’s most important stories, free. One email a day.
Rio de Janeiro issued a decree on 13 July prohibiting betting-platform advertising in public spaces and outdoor media, including billboards, large screens and street furniture. The measure does not cover digital or television advertising, which remains under federal rules. The Attorney General’s Office has separately asked Brazil’s Supreme Federal Court to suspend a Rio Grande do Sul law imposing state-level betting-advertising restrictions.
Rio de Janeiro lawyer Fabio Ferreira Couto said the city’s decree banning gambling advertising in public spaces and outdoor media was unconstitutional. He argued that the measure intrudes on federal regulatory powers and treats licensed businesses like illegal platforms; the decree requires advertisers, concessionaires and clubs to remove campaigns immediately, with fines or licence loss possible for non-compliance.
Rio de Janeiro’s municipal government banned advertising for sports betting and online games on public spaces and privately owned locations requiring municipal advertising authorisation. The rule also covers municipal contracts, concessions and events; authorities may order immediate removal of advertisements that breach it.
LOTERJ president Fabíola Esteves called for greater coordination among regulators and public institutions to address illegal gambling in Rio de Janeiro, according to the regulator’s position. LOTERJ also identified regulatory intelligence, audits, real-time monitoring, anti-money-laundering measures and player protection as priorities.
Rio de Janeiro’s Consumer Police Department is leading 15 investigations into suspected manipulation of football matches across series A, B, C and D, delegate Wellington Vieira said. The work involves the Civil Police, Public Ministry and state football federation, with integrity alerts from betting-monitoring companies forwarded for investigation.