Paula Lavigne’s “Block no Tigrinho” campaign brings Brazil’s top artists into the fight against predatory online betting

Paula Lavigne personally called artists one by one to line up support for “Block no Tigrinho,” a campaign aimed at pushing back against what its backers call predatory betting in Brazil. For PSPs, acquirers, and banks, the point is simple: when a vertical starts attracting sustained cultural and political pressure, advertising rules and merchant risk appetite tend to move with it.

1. The campaign was made public on Tuesday (2) in a video featuring Caetano Veloso, Chico Buarque, Gilberto Gil, Paulinho da Viola, Marieta Severo, Julia Lemmertz, Letícia Sabatella, Cláudia Abreu, Djavan, Emicida, Malu Galli, Daniel Dantas, Luisa Arraes, Camila Pitanga, Alice Carvalho, Enrique Diaz, and Sandra Sá. The video was released by 342 Artes, the group founded by Lavigne that gathers artists and other Brazilian cultural figures.
2. The stated goal is to build support for “the end of predatory betting in Brazil” and to push for stricter rules on advertising in the sector. The campaign also puts a spotlight on digital influencers, which matters because influencer-driven acquisition is one of the more visible pressure points in the current betting ecosystem.
3. Lavigne said it is important for artists with decades-long careers to speak out in a moment she described as a new political and social environment, with the far right dominating Congress. Her argument is that high-profile cultural names can pull in other artists, communicators, and influencers by making the issue feel public rather than niche.
4. The campaign says it is focused on raising awareness about losses linked to online betting, especially among young people, families, and vulnerable groups. It cites data showing that 1.8 million Brazilians suffered financial losses in 2024.
5. Lavigne also flagged the cultural sector’s dependence on betting sponsorships, saying festivals and shows have become captive to these platforms. For operators and payment providers, that is the part worth watching: once sponsorship dependence becomes part of the public debate, commercial exposure can start to look like regulatory exposure.

The thing is, this is no longer just a marketing fight between operators. In Brazil, the debate is drifting toward Congress, ad restrictions, and the role of influencers — all of which can change how betting merchants are acquired, promoted, and banked.