LATAM

Brazil is expected to launch a new centralised national self-exclusion system by the end of this year.

This was outlined in Normative Instruction Number 31 published by the Secretariat of Prizes and Bets of the Ministry of Finance (SPA-MF), which aims to strengthen the responsible gambling policies in the regulated fixed odds betting market that launched back in January of this year.

The system will allow players to voluntarily self-exclude not only from a single specific operator but also from all licensed betting platforms nation-wide if they choose to.

Regis Dudena, SPA Secretary, said: “We are moving forward with the expansion of the protection of people, which is the central concern of our Secretariat and Minister Fernando Haddad.

“We are giving people the possibility to decide if they want to temporarily restrict their exposure to betting, centrally and safely, including reducing their access to advertising. This is an advance that puts Brazil in a vanguard position in the world, in caring for our population.”

The system was technically put together by the Federal Data Processing Service (SEPRO) at the request of SPA, in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Sports, and Brazil’s Secretariat of Social Communication (SECOM). It was put as a priority in the country’s 2025/26 Regulatory Agenda published back in April.

Marcelo Kimati Dias, Director of the Mental Health Department at the Ministry of Health, commented: “In the context of mental health, the improvement of self-exclusion mechanisms will contribute to prevention and harm reduction strategies related to gambling disorder.”

As per Normative Instruction 31, operators will have up to 30 days from the instruction’s publication date (11 November) to ensure that they’ve implemented all necessary technical procedures that allow them to block self-excluded users and return any remaining deposits.

Additionally, operators will have 90 more days to comply with the new technical standards outlined in the recently-published Ordinance No. 2,579 that require them to offer deposit limit options for players on their platforms.

Alexandre Amorim, SEPRO President, said: “The advance in betting protection is a milestone for the maturation of the betting sector in the country, with Serpro’s technology ensuring, once again, transparency, security and social responsibility, always in accordance with data protection standards and the principles of digital sovereignty.”

The self-exclusion system is the latest in a series of efforts by Brazil’s SPA to strengthen player protection across the country, with the authority already actively preventing state benefits from social programmes like the Bolsa Familia Programme and the Continuous Benefit Payment from being used for gambling.

On a separate note, besides the self-exclusion system a potential gambling tax increase from 12% to 24% is also on the agenda, with the Senate set to vote on 18 November after multiple delays.

Argentina is introducing new federal legislation on gambling advertising, setting out rules designed to protect young audiences and vulnerable consumers.

Following months of debate in the Chamber of Deputies, the Ministry of Economy confirmed through the Official Gazette that the first stage of the framework has been approved. The new rules define how gambling and betting products may be advertised across the country’s 23 provinces and 1,170 municipalities.

This morning the official gazette of the Ministry of the Economy, confirmed that initial measures have been agreed to govern the advertising of gambling products/services on Argentine media platforms, TV, radio, and social media influencers.

Under the new regulation, gambling advertisements must be concise, factual and limited to essential information, avoiding any exaggerated or misleading claims.

All advertisements are now required to include two mandatory warnings:

“Compulsive gambling is harmful to your health”

“For +18 customers”

These warnings must appear in the lower section of the advertisement, using a minimum font size of four millimeters and accounting for at least 5% of the total height of the ad. The media must ensure that changes have been applied to advertising content by 30 November.

In audio-visual formats, they must remain visible for no less than five seconds, while in radio adverts they must be read clearly, without background music, and at a natural speaking pace.

The Secretariat of Industry and Commerce, which drafted the regulation, explained that the objective is to ensure clarity and transparency rather than overwhelm consumers with unreadable text or excessive fine print:

“By drowning consumers in too much information, advertisers risk leading them to make irrational or incorrect decisions. Presenting too many details in an unreadable format, or too briefly, can result in essential information being ignored.”

For the first time, the new advertising code extends to influencers and digital content creators who promote gambling or betting platforms — a decision prompted by growing concern over the spread of gambling-related content online.

As reported by SBC Noticias, concerns about gambling addiction were first raised by the Buenos Aires Executive, after public health and education authorities found that 34% of minors had gambled despite existing age-verification checks.

In response, Jorge Macri, Chief of Government of Buenos Aires, suspended the issuance of new gambling licences, insisting that stricter rules were needed to protect minors and regulate advertising.

The Buenos Aires measures increased pressure on national lawmakers to act at a federal level, but the Chamber of Deputies missed its legislative target due to the provincial election calendar across Argentina in 2025.

Resolution 446/2025 now stands as the most tangible step in Argentina’s long-awaited reform process, paving the way for wider federal oversight through five civic committees responsible for public health, communications, criminal legislation, social action and youth welfare.

The new framework has been welcomed as a step forward for consumer protection and responsible gambling in some corners. However, skeptics feel that the measures remain too light-touch, focusing primarily on disclosure and presentation rules rather than robust enforcement or support programmes for at-risk groups.

For now, Argentina’s gambling sector enters a period of transition — one in which federal advertising rules will become mandatory, though their effectiveness in reducing youth exposure and gambling-related harm remains uncertain.

Chile’s casino sector has escalated its call for urgent gambling reforms after the Supreme Court ruled that online betting operations are illegal.

Speaking to SBC Noticias, Cecilia Valdés, Executive President of the Asociación Chilena de Casinos de Juego (ACCJ), stated that the ruling must “serve as a catalyst for legislation, not as a temporary patch”, insisting that Chile needs a proper legal framework for its growing online gambling market.

“The Court did its job by upholding the law,” Valdés told SBC Noticias. “But now it’s Congress’s turn. The judiciary cannot continue to act as a substitute regulator for an industry that politicians have refused to legislate. Chile urgently needs a modern, clear and enforceable gambling law.”

Courts are not regulators

Valdés was clear that judicial interpretations cannot replace actual regulation. “The courts are not designed to regulate industries. They interpret the law but we still don’t have one,” she argued. “Every ruling offers short-term clarity but no long-term stability. Only Congress can provide that.”

Chile’s land-based casinos already operate under strict supervision from the Superintendence of Casinos, which enforces tax compliance and responsible gambling standards. Offshore online operators, however, operate without oversight or contribution to the economy.

“We need one system of rules for everyone,” Valdés said. “It’s unacceptable that regulated casinos are held to the highest standards while online platforms can operate freely from tax havens.”

Chile behind neighbours

The ACCJ has warned that political paralysis threatens to push Chile further behind regional peers such as Colombia, Peru and Brazil — all of which have already introduced online gambling frameworks.

“Every month without regulation means more capital leaving the country, more players exposed to unsafe environments, and more tax lost to the state,” Valdés said. “Not regulating is not neutral — it rewards those who break the law.”

The ACCJ believes that with the right framework, Chile could transform online gaming into a legitimate part of its emerging digital economy.

Matter rolls to a new election

The ACCJ expressed deep frustration that the government has failed to deliver a new Gambling Bill pledged by President Gabriel Boric at the last election. A lost opportunity to bring assurance to the market as Chile electorate heads to the polls in November

“We were told gaming regulation would be a priority,” Valdés said. “Instead, another election has come and gone without a law. Every delay creates more uncertainty and gives illegal operators more space to grow.”

“Chile’s gambling industry has been left in legal limbo for too long,” Valdés continued. “Each year without reform undermines legal operators, weakens tax revenues and damages public trust. We cannot keep relying on court rulings to patch a broken system.”

Clear Vision for 2030

Valdés outlined a vision for a hybrid gambling industry where physical casinos and regulated online platforms coexist under unified, transparent rules.

“Online gaming can help build Chile’s new economy,” she said. “It can create jobs, attract tech partnerships, and drive responsible entertainment — but only under proper regulation.”

She added that technologies such as artificial intelligence, gamification and virtual reality could enhance player protection and customer experience, provided they are implemented within an ethical and regulated structure.

“Our goal for 2030 is a stable, transparent and innovative industry — one that creates jobs, pays taxes and protects players,” Valdés concluded. “The time for political hesitation is over. Chile must legislate for the digital era — and stop asking the courts to fix what only the government can resolve.”

A significant bust of an illegal casino operation in Bolivia has been confirmed by the Bolivia Gaming Control Authority (AJ).

The operation was disguised as a food venue, and players were recruited to play through WhatsApp engagement. In a market where inspections are frequent, the illicit actors also utilised an expansive camera network to avoid detection.

As a result of information provided to the authorities, two slot machine gaming devices were seized, and the operation was halted.

It continues action by Bolivian authorities to tackle the illicit market – so far this year, 61 illegal gambling sites have been raided, and 85 gambling facilities have been seized.

The Santa Cruz department currently holds the highest number of illegal gambling sites reported.

There is also a strengthened effort and strategy to ensure that none of the machines re-enter the illicit market, with 2024 seeing the destruction of 639 illegally confiscated gaming machines.

Whilst online gaming is prohibited in Bolivia, there are limited land-based gaming licenses, however, they operate under strict frameworks.

This has led to only one legal license being issued in Santa Cruz and has potentially enabled the grey and black market to thrive and tap into gaps in the market.

There is currently a proposal to evolve the framework for Bolivia’s gaming landscape, however, having first been put forward in 2020, it remains in prolonged deliberation.

At the heart of the potential change in legislation is the inclusion of online gambling within the country’s legal framework.

Central to this is the ability to attract new investors to the sector and boost jobs and wealth across the country.

Furthermore, the changes to the legislation have also been cited as potentially being significant when it comes to tackling the rise of illegal operations that are being engaged with across Bolivia.

An election looms in Bolivia, and the regulated industry will be hoping that whoever comes in will place something of a priority on ensuring gambling regulation is strengthened.

There is currently a two-horse race in the country between Rodrigo Paz Pereira of the Christian Democratic Party and former President Jorge “Tuto” Quiroga. Neither candidate has outlined a specific stance for the gambling industry.

iGaming Expert Analysis: The modernisation of the Bolivian gambling sector is desperately needed and that is underpinned by the latest significant haul of unlicensed operators across the country.

As of right now, the lack of a clear path to regulatory compliance and licensing presents a real challenge for operators that are looking to expand in the country.

The Senate of Argentina has resumed negotiations to complete the federal bill designed to strengthen protections against problem gambling and introduce tighter controls on advertising and youth protections. The initiative, which secured overwhelming preliminary approval in the Chamber of Deputies last November, has since stalled in the upper house, where committees remain divided on its federal application…

The betting regulator in Brazil, the Secretariat of Prizes and Bets of the Ministry of Finance (SPA), is taking further measures to ensure acceptance of the two most widely claimed state benefits are excluded from betting.

Late last year, Brazil’s Supreme Court opted to exclude reimbursements of the Bolsa Familia Programme (PBF) and Continuous Benefit Payment (BPC) benefits from wagering with licensed operators. This came ahead of the launch of the ‘Bets’ regulated market on 1 January 2025.

The SPA began taking steps in April 2025 to ensure the exclusion was being adopted effectively. It has now followed this up with the creation of a database of PBF and BPC users which operators are required to consult during KYC checks, user registration and logins.

Regis Dudena, Secretary of Prizes and Bets at the Ministry of Finance, said: “To ensure compliance with the Supreme Court’s ruling, it was necessary to develop a robust technical tool, carefully ensuring that the measure guaranteed the protection of the rights involved.

“Protecting citizens, their security, their rights, and their personal data are always objectives of the Brazilian Government.”

Betting, benefits and poverty reduction
Brazil’s betting market understandably generated a lot of hype, with the country hosting an adult population of just under 170 million, an estimated football fanbase of well over 100 million, and the world’s 10th largest economy by GDP.

It is also a country which faces various socio-economic challenges, however, which benefits like the Bolsa Familia were introduced to alleviate. Bolsa Familia in particular is one of the most widely claimed benefits in Brazil with over 54 million people receiving it, and has been praised as contributing significantly to the reduction of poverty rates in the country.

BPC, meanwhile, is provided to those 65 and older, and is claimed by some 5.8 million people. Collectively, the Supreme Court decision prevents around a third of Brazil’s population from betting legally.

Operators have been reminded by the SPA over the past few months that the welfare benefits exclusions must be strictly adhered to. On top of the PBF/BPC database, operators have been assigned other tasks.

Licensed betting firms are required to consult the Betting Management System (Sigap), the Ministry of Finance’s guidance around the use and submission of data by betting companies, when customers Individual Taxpayer Registry (CPF) numbers.

Alexandre Amorim, President of Federal Data Processing Service (Serpro), which designed the Sigap system, said: “This measure reinforces the State’s commitment to the ethical use of technology and to building a transparent, safe, and socially fair betting market.

“Sigap is an example of how technology can be applied strategically to meet the needs of the State and society.”

Argentina may follow suite
The notion of excluding benefits recipients from gambling appears to be catching on, certainly in Latin America at least. Brazil’s neighbour Argentina, also a key betting market in South America, is also mulling up the prospect.

The Chamber of Deputies of Salta, a province in the northwest of Argentina, has approved a bill which will prevent people who receive Universal Child Allowance (AUH) from entering betting shops, racetracks, casinos and bingo halls.

Gustavo Dantur, one of the two Representatives to table the legislation alongside fellow lawmaker Daniel Segura, explained that ‘problem gambling affects us all’, adding that ‘this is not a moral issue, and it’s an issue of economic and social harm’.

“We have a moral duty to support this law,” he remarked – a sentiment that seems to have resonated with his fellow legislators, with only two out of the Chamber’s 60 deputies voting against the proposal.

Brazil is set to implement sweeping digital reforms to enforce new online protections and safeguard children’s rights in online environments.

On Friday 19 September, President Luiz Inácio ‘Lula’ da Silva signed off on the federal approval of the “Estatuto da Criança e do Adolescente Digital” (ECA Digital) – the new Statute for Children and Adolescents in the Digital Era.

The statute is due to be fully implemented by 30 March 2026, applying to all digital businesses and services in Brazil, including operators licensed under the Bets regime for online gambling. Alongside the statute, new laws will impose wide-ranging obligations on platforms, websites and businesses offering or promoting adult material.

As the core obligation, the ECA states that “self-declaration of the user will no longer be acceptable as proof of age, with online businesses required to adopt reliable verification methods.”

From 2026 onwards, the government will permit only “auditable processes” for online verification, such as uploading a CPF number, national identity card or driver’s licence cross-checked with official databases.

Other measures include biometric tools like facial recognition and live-verified checks to confirm that the individual matches the identification provided.

Brazil has become the first country in South America to implement specific online protections for children under the age of 18, aligning its framework with recent policies in other nations like the UK’s Online Safety Act and Australia’s Online Safety Bill.

The ECA defines adult material or restricted content as encompassing pornography and sexual exploitation, including explicit sexual material, sex work services, grooming and the exploitation of minors. It further covers violence and graphic content, such as depictions of cruelty, abuse, torture or extreme violence.

Specific content relating to drugs and controlled substances, including the promotion, sale or encouragement of narcotics and associated paraphernalia, is also included.

Gambling and betting services, such as online casinos, sports betting and lotteries not authorised for minors, are explicitly restricted. Finally, the statute prohibits content that incites or glorifies self-harm and suicide, including eating disorders or other harmful practices.

Oversight will be shared between the three bodies of the National Data Protection Authority (ANPD), the Ministry of Justice and Public Security, and child protection councils across Brazil’s states.

Penalties for non-compliance are severe, with companies facing fines of up to 50m reais (approximately €9m) or 10% of their annual revenues in Brazil, as well as possible suspensions or bans.

Bets must think of the children
For the gambling sector, the ECA Digital represents a significant compliance challenge at a time when Brazil is pressing ahead with settling on the final regulatory conditions to govern online gambling licences and services under the Bets regime.

Gambling is explicitly classified as restricted content, requiring licensed operators to adopt robust age-verification systems and embed parental safeguards directly into their platforms.

Regulators will be responsible for ensuring that no minors are able to engage with gambling services and that operators meet the highest standards of digital responsibility.

Advertising sensitivities
The Statute of Child Protections must also be taken into account by the Senate and Congress in ongoing deliberations over whether to introduce a dedicated advertising law for the Bets regime.

Concerns and anxieties persist around the scale and high visibility of gambling advertising across all Brazilian media platforms and services.

As stands under Bill 2,985/2023, the use of active athletes, social media influencers and artists in gambling campaigns is prohibited, with only former athletes who have been retired for at least five years permitted to participate in campaigns.

Two further bills have been submitted to the Senate. Representative Luiz Carlos Hauly has proposed a blanket ban on gambling advertising across all mediums, with penalties including fines of up to 50m reais, suspension of domains and apps, and the revocation of licences.

Meanwhile, Senator Humberto Costa has tabled a separate bill seeking to impose stricter controls, restricting campaigns to audiences over 21 and limiting the extent of gambling advertising during sports broadcasts. Costa’s bill will further require direct monitoring and sign-off of online campaigns.

Lula: Brazil takes lead in child protections
As the first Latin American country to implement a specific statute, Human Rights Watch hailed the reforms as a landmark moment, with Hye Jung Han, Children’s Rights and Technology Researcher at HRW, stating:

“Brazil has stepped forward as the first country in Latin America to pass a dedicated law to protect children’s online privacy and safety. This is a significant advancement and should encourage other governments to act swiftly to strengthen digital protections for children.”

President Lula said the law would provide parents with “effective tools to shield children from online risks, while ensuring technology companies respect the rights of the most vulnerable.”

The Secretariat of Prizes and Betting (SPA) is now expected to present detailed technical guidance to help licensed operators under the Bets regime adopt the new child protection measures in line with the ECA Digital.

The Chamber of Deputies of Brazil has tabled a proposal which would see banks and fintechs play a deeper role in the fight against the black market, and safeguard the existing laws of the Bets regime.

As reported by SBC Noticias Brasil, Bill 182/2025 was presented by Congressman José Guimarães, Member of the Chamber of Deputies of Brazil, proposing to hold payment providers accountable for facilitating transactions related to illegal betting.

The proposal comes as Brazilian authorities continue to have concerns of the market’s transition from a grey to regulated status as of the 1 January adoption of the Bets regime.

Within the ranks of Congress and the Senate, anxieties have been expressed over the current vulnerabilities as illicit operators are deemed to be actively targeting users of the Bolsa Familia – Brazil’s national social welfare program.

The bill will require financial institutions to closely monitor customer accounts, flagging down payouts from bets made on illegal platforms and withholding a percentage which would then be paid back to the government. Failure to comply would result in fines or other penalties.

Guimarães outlined that this would not only diminish the profitability of illegal betting and therefore make it less appealing, but would also make it more traceable.

Brazilian news outlet O Globo further noted that based on Brazil’s Annual Budget Bill (PLOA), the draft bill will unlock around R$20bn (£2.7bn) in additional funding in 2026.

In his proposal, Guimarães stated that these funds will then be used to subsidise national health programmes, including prevention and treatment of gambling disorders.

“By jointly [making] financial and payment institutions responsible for facilitating transactions of unauthorised operators, the proposal creates an effective mechanism to block the financial flow of illicit activities and ensure the collection of taxes due,” the bill reads.

Additional provisions will ensure that those found guilty of promoting unlicensed gambling content will also face repercussions.

Response is overall positive
While the Brazilian Federation of Banks (Fedraban) confirmed that it fully supports any measures to reduce the influence of the black market, it also called for caution and asked for the bill to be carefully analysed to avoid any negative side effects.

The directive to directly monitor gambling deposits and transactions has received the backing of Finance Minister Fernando Haddad, who has been openly critical of the early developments in Brazil’s betting market.

Haddad previously instructed the federal police to investigate financial flows into licensed betting operators after the Central Bank reported suspicious activity. According to the Bank, in just one month, tax identification numbers linked to individual beneficiaries were used to channel more than R$3 billion into betting accounts.

Meanwhile, the National Association of Games and Lotteries (ANJL) fully welcomed the draft by saying that cutting the financial flow of illegal operators will inevitably make them weaker.

“With the creation of legal mechanisms capable of interrupting this financial flow, it will be possible to weaken irregular activity and protect the bettor,” the ANJL said.

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More than half of Brazil’s betting market is still being run by unlicensed operators, according to new figures from the Brazilian Institute of Responsible Gaming (IBJR).

The body has warned that since the market launch at the start of this year, this illegal activity has been leaving players exposed to fraud while draining potential tax revenue from the state.

To address the problem, IBJR has launched a new nationwide campaign, ‘No More Goats in the Room’, aiming to highlight the dangers of the black market and encourage bettors to stick with government-approved sites carrying the .bet.br domain.

Campaign brings issue into focus
The initiative is running across TV, radio, billboards and social channels until December. Its central theme – the “goat in the room” – is used to represent an obvious but often ignored problem, the organisation explained.

With 51% of the country’s betting market consisting of illegal operations, Fernando Vieira, Executive President of IBJR, said: “The goat in the room represents a problem that many see, but that needs to be addressed directly.

“Illegal betting is a risk for bettors, who have no one to turn to in case of fraud, and a loss for society, as it doesn’t generate taxes that would otherwise benefit the population.

“The campaign brings this discussion to the general public, promoting education and knowledge, and alerting people to ways to recognise platforms regulated by the Federal government and thus protect themselves from scams.”

Brazil’s nationwide betting market was launched on 1 January 2025 after years of legislative debate and development, with provisions around licensing, payments, player protection and sports integrity written in.

However, the market launch and evolution in the following months has seen, unsurprisingly, some tricky adjustments. Above all of this, the regulated industry is concerned about the lingering presence of illegal firms, as well as the way these operators market themselves such as via influencers.

The federal government has been issuing licences through the Secretariat of Prizes and Bets since January, offshore operators still continue to attract Brazilian customers with no regulatory oversight.

Risks to players and society
The Institute pointed to three main issues with illegal platforms: minors can gain access without checks, bettors risk losing their money without protection and the sites are often used to launder funds.

Licensed operators, in contrast, must run ID and facial recognition checks and are subject to anti-fraud monitoring.

The work was developed by agency We. Executive Creative Director, Carlos Schleder, detailed: “We sought a creative resource that literally demonstrates how illegal gambling can invade people’s daily lives.”

Meanwhile, fellow Director Kleyton Mourão added: “Ignoring the problem doesn’t encourage dialogue, and without it, there’s no solution. This is the first initiative to place the issue of illegal gambling on the national agenda and highlight how crucial this issue is to promoting concrete transformations.”

New tools and strong reception
The campaign also brings a digital element, with IBJR opening an Instagram account and launching Betalert – a tool that allows users to check whether a betting site is licensed by entering its URL.

Before launch, the Institute said that it tested the campaign with 1,000 people across the country. The results showed 78% considered the content credible and 77% said it was enjoyable, with the goat metaphor proving particularly memorable.

The latest push from IBJR, founded in 2023, reinforces the group’s message that illegal betting remains the biggest challenge for a sustainable and responsible industry.

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IAB Brasil (Interactive Advertising Bureau) has launched a guide for digital advertising in the sports betting and online gaming sector, underpinning the maturing of the market.

The document puts forward rules and best practices for responsible communication on online betting platforms. The initiative addresses the legal and ethical requirements that have emerged with the regulation of the sector in Brazil.

It was developed to guide agencies, digital influencers, and advertisers by establishing limits for the promotion of betting platforms. The guide aims to ensure that campaigns comply with the regulations of the Prizes and Betting Secretariat (SPA) and the guidelines of the National Council for Advertising Self-Regulation (CONAR) – especially Annex X, which was created to set boundaries for the sector.

The publication reinforces IAB Brasil’s role in promoting best practices in the digital environment, and Denise Porto, CEO of IAB Brasil, highlighted the social role of regulated advertising.

“Regulated advertising plays an educational social role by informing the public about which platforms are safe and supervised,” she said. According to Porto, advertising helps build trustworthy brands that generate credibility and reduce the appeal of unregulated offers.

The guide consolidates the main legal and self-regulatory rules and guidelines applicable to betting advertising into a single document, highlighting points such as identification and transparency in advertising campaigns, licensing and compliance of operators, protection of minors and vulnerable groups, responsibility and prevention of reputational risks, and best practices for influencers and content creators.

Available for free download on the IAB website, the guide ensures broad access for all professionals working with advertising in the online betting sector.

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