Rio Grande do Sul betting ad restrictions take effect without STF ruling

Rio Grande do Sul’s Law No. 16,508 is now in force, and licensed betting operators have to comply with its advertising limits even though Brazil’s Supreme Federal Court (STF) has not yet ruled on the pending constitutional challenge. For PSPs and operators, the immediate issue is simple: a state-level rule is live, and campaigns in the state now need to be filtered against it.

1. As of Tuesday, 25 August, the 120-day vacatio legis set by the law expired, so the measure began producing full legal effects in Rio Grande do Sul. The law was signed by Governor Eduardo Leite (PSD) on 24 April 2026.
2. The rule requires gambling-risk warnings to cover at least 15% of each ad, with audio at the same volume and speed as the main message. It also bans betting ads between 6h and 21h on TV, radio, streaming, and video-on-demand platforms.
3. The law further prohibits the use of mascots, animations, and fictional characters with child or youth appeal, and restricts the association of betting brands with stadiums, gyms, and sports or cultural events. Existing official sponsorship contracts signed before the law took effect are exempt.
4. The constitutional challenge is ADI 7.971, filed by the Associação Nacional de Jogos e Loterias (ANJL) on 19 May 2026. ANJL argues that fixed-odds betting advertising is a matter of exclusive federal competence, already regulated by Federal Law No. 14,790/2023 and Portaria SPA/MF No. 1,231/2024.
5. The AGU backed the unconstitutionality claim in June 2026, and on 17 August the Prosecutor-General Paulo Gonet Branco issued a similar opinion, recommending an immediate injunction to suspend the law. That has not happened yet, so the state rules remain in force while the STF case moves on.

The practical takeaway for high-risk operators is not subtle: a nationally licensed brand can still face state-by-state advertising restrictions before the Supreme Court settles the constitutional question. In other words, the payment rails may be national, but the media plan is not.