Brazil Senate debate exposes split over bill restricting betting ads

A public hearing in Brazil’s Senate on Tuesday (1) put online betting advertising and sponsorship under the spotlight, with government officials and industry representatives clashing over PL 2.470/2026. For PSPs and payment providers serving high-risk verticals, the bill matters because it would tighten the commercial environment around bets, including how operators can promote themselves and reach users.

1. The hearing was held by the Senate’s Commission on Science and Technology (CCT) to discuss PL 2.470/2026, which could receive a preliminary report as early as Wednesday (2). The proposal would restrict advertising and sponsorship for this type of online betting and also set measures to protect vulnerable groups and classify risks tied to different kinds of games.
2. The bill was introduced by Senator Damares Alves (Republicanos-DF), while Senator Alessandro Vieira (MDB-SE) is the rapporteur. Vieira said the vote is urgent for the country and indicated that a first draft of the report could be presented on Wednesday. Alves criticized the industry’s use of what she called “romanticized” language, arguing that “responsible gaming” should be replaced with “responsible loss.”
3. Representing Brazil’s Ministry of Health, Marcelo Kimati Dias said around 25 million Brazilians used legalized betting platforms last year, and that some of those users developed gambling-related disorders. Dias, who directs the Department of Mental Health, Alcohol and Other Drugs, said people with betting problems face a suicide risk up to 15 times higher than the general population.
4. Dias also said public health system appointments related to gaming and betting grew 140% between 2018 and 2025. According to him, the affected population is mostly young, Black, low-income, and based in Brazil’s Northeast region.
5. Francisco Cordeiro, national consultant for the Pan American Health Organization (Opas), cited an institution study published in December last year showing that for every R$ 1 the state collects from the sector, the country spends at least around R$ 4 dealing with the damage. That kind of ratio is the part PSPs should watch: it is exactly the sort of number lawmakers use when deciding whether ad restrictions are enough or whether broader limits are coming next.