Under the new sports betting law, gambling ads are prohibited in public spaces.
Rio de Janeiro has become the first Brazilian city to introduce a ban on public ads for sports betting companies.
The move is part of Brazil’s new sports betting regulation, which is cracking down on advertising from online betting companies and applies to public spaces and events organised by the City Hall.
The Mayor of Rio, Eduardo Cavaliere, called sports betting a “plague” in a recent post on X (formerly Twitter), explaining the reasoning behind the decision.
“This decision is not against those who place a bet by their own choice. It is against an industry that has begun to occupy streets, avenues, bus stops, and other public spaces to encourage a behavior that can lead to debt, addiction, and the destruction of families.
“Public space exists to serve the population, not to encourage a social problem”
Nós já somos Rio, SP e BH contra a praga das BETs. E a certeza que estamos do lado certo. Marca aqui nos comentários, compartilha e RT pra proibição de publicidade das bets se espalhar pelo Brasil 🇧🇷 pic.twitter.com/5TLKvagWge
— Eduardo Cavaliere (@CavaliereRio) July 15, 2026
Ads in the city have reportedly been replaced with banners that read: “Sports betting ad removed.” The quick turnaround has left operators scrambling to get the appropriate licences.
Under the new rules, gambling agencies are prevented from showing trademarks, logos, apps, websites, promotional campaigns, slogans, or any other identifying elements.
The strict ad rules stipulate the operators must include health warnings relating to addiction risks and potential financial loss in each ad. Operators are not allowed to encourage customers to place immediate bets, and sports commentators are not allowed to encourage viewers to place bets.
Ads must also include phrases such as: ‘betting is not an investment,’ or ‘betting makes you lose money,’ or ‘betting can cause addiction.’
Over 56,000 sites have already been removed, alongside nearly a thousand of influencer profiles.
