Belo Horizonte weighs betting ad restrictions

Belo Horizonte’s City Council is expected to vote this week on two bills that would introduce restrictions on betting advertising, potentially making the Minas Gerais capital the latest Brazilian municipality to tighten rules around gambling marketing.

Bill PL 297/2025, introduced by councillor Pedro Rousseff, would restrict advertising by betting operators and prevent companies from sponsoring sports, cultural, civic and educational events. The proposal would also prohibit indirect promotion through social media and ban the pre-installation of betting applications on electronic devices.

“In front of a public school, for example, there shouldn’t be a betting advertisement (…) It is our duty as representatives of the people of BH to solve problems that are sensitive to our population,” Rousseff said.

A second proposal, PL 362/2025, takes a broader approach. Backed by a cross-party group of councillors, the bill would prohibit all forms of betting advertising within the city and ban promotional activities including giveaways, coupons, events and competitions linked to gambling platforms.

The proposal would also prevent betting brands from being associated with municipal venues, public assets and government-backed events.

"We should create a mechanism that is perhaps unprecedented and an example for all capital cities and even for the National Congress, which has been silent, preventing this discussion, while many Brazilians have suffered losses," Councillor Wagner Ferreira said.

Although the bills were discussed together during committee proceedings, they will be voted on separately. Each proposal requires 21 votes to advance to the mayor for sanction or veto.

The debate in Belo Horizonte follows a wider trend emerging across Brazil as municipalities seek greater control over gambling advertising at a local level.