SPA targets betting ads with influencers in scope

Brazil’s Ministry of Finance has placed betting advertising at the center of its 2026-2027 Regulatory Agenda, announcing that it will review rules governing affiliates and online influencers in the first quarter of 2026. 

The initiative, led by the Secretariat of Prizes and Betting (SPA), focuses particularly on the promotion of unauthorized operators, which regulators say still account for a significant share of the market. 

The updated agenda marks a shift from the previous cycle, which did not explicitly address advertising oversight.

At the core of the proposed changes is the concept of joint liability established in the supplementary law that structured Brazil’s regulated betting market. 

Under this provision, individuals or companies that promote illegal operators may be held responsible alongside them for unpaid federal taxes derived from betting activities. 

In practice, this could extend to influencers, affiliate networks, marketing agencies and digital platforms if they fail to implement mechanisms to prevent the dissemination of ads for unlicensed sites.

When was the starting point?

The debate over influencer responsibility gained prominence during the parliamentary inquiry known as the CPI das Bets, which is Brazil’s Parliamentary Inquiry that examined the social and economic impacts of online gambling in 2025.

The biggest Brazilian influencer in terms of numbers, Virginia Fonseca, was among those called to testify, as lawmakers questioned the role of high-profile digital personalities in promoting betting platforms to large audiences. 

Her appearance intensified scrutiny over how advertising practices may reach young or financially vulnerable users and highlighted the reputational risks facing both operators and content creators.

Licensed operators have broadly supported stronger enforcement against illegal advertising and argued that unregulated competitors distort the market and undermine compliance efforts.