Brazil puts bettor protection under the spotlight at first responsible gambling seminar

Brazilian regulators and consumer protection authorities gathered in Brasília this week for the country’s first seminar dedicated to bettor protection and responsible gambling, as oversight of the regulated betting market continues to expand.

Organized by the Secretariat of Prizes and Betting (SPA), the event brought together representatives from the National Consumer Secretariat (Senacon), the National Secretariat for Digital Rights (Sedigi) and members of the National Consumer Protection System to discuss issues ranging from responsible advertising to data protection and gambling-related harm.

 The seminar comes shortly after the SPA and Sedigi formalized a cooperation agreement aimed at strengthening consumer protections in Brazil’s regulated betting sector, including efforts to identify manipulative online practices and improve digital safeguards.

National Consumer Secretary Ricardo Morishita said consumer protection principles must remain central to the country’s betting framework and warned that authorities are increasingly monitoring both illegal and licensed operators.

“Initially, our priority is combating illegal betting, but a recent action by the Public Prosecutor’s Office of the Federal District, which identified illegal betting offers within applications operating on licensed platforms, means we must broaden our monitoring efforts,” he said.

Morishita also pointed to recurring complaints involving withheld funds, failures in self-exclusion systems, misleading advertising and account restrictions as areas requiring continued attention from operators.

Meanwhile, National Secretary for Digital Rights Victor Oliveira Fernandes stressed the importance of cooperation between public bodies as betting becomes increasingly embedded within digital environments.

SPA Secretary Daniele Cardoso echoed those concerns, arguing that long-term growth of the regulated market depends on operators addressing risks linked to problem gambling, over-indebtedness and abusive advertising practices.

“The centre of the betting regulatory model is the protection of people,” Cardoso said. “There is no long-term economic sustainability without social sustainability.”