Brazil’s Health Minister Alexandre Padilha has intensified calls for stricter controls on betting advertising, comparing the risks of gambling addiction to those historically associated with tobacco use.
Padilha said betting should be addressed as a public health issue, arguing that the country should follow a similar regulatory path to that taken with cigarette advertising.
“I defend that we treat the problem of bets the same way we treat the problem of cigarettes, tackling the issue of advertising,” he said.
The Minister reiterated his position in multiple appearances, stating: “For me today, the problem of bets is an addiction issue on the same scale as cigarettes. Cigarettes had advertising accessible to children, sports advertising. Formula 1 used to be practically entirely driven by the cigarette industry.”
Padilha acknowledged that recent regulatory steps have limited access to betting platforms for minors but argued that further measures are needed.
“It is necessary that we take a step further, in Congress, applying the same rules as cigarettes, banning advertising and reducing this access, because this is a serious public health problem,” he said.
His comments come amid increasing scrutiny of the betting sector in Brazil, with policymakers, including the country’s President, linking the growth of online gambling to concerns around addiction and financial vulnerability.
The comparison to tobacco reflects a shift in how parts of the government are framing the sector, not only as an economic activity, but as an area requiring public health intervention. This positioning could influence future regulatory approaches, particularly in relation to marketing, consumer protection and exposure among vulnerable groups.
The proposed bill to ban betting advertising in Brazil has advanced, with football bodies warning of potential economic impacts on the sport
