Customers of Betano, one of Brazil's leading betting operators, say the company offered bonuses in exchange for positive reviews on Reclame Aqui.
Reclame Aqui is the country's main consumer reputation platform. BBC News Brasil identified customer complaints posted between 2023 and this August describing the practice, which only came to light after users alleged Betano failed to pay the promised bonuses. The outlet also found posts from Betano staff referencing the bonus payments directly.
Consumer protection bodies and betting market lawyers say the alleged practice could artificially inflate the company's reputation and breach Brazil's Consumer Protection Code.
Consumer group Idec said tying bonuses to positive reviews creates a false impression of the service and could deepen gambling harm, since any bonus is likely to be spent quickly on further betting.
São Paulo's consumer protection agency, Procon-SP, said the offer could be considered abusive and undermine the transparency consumer relationships require. Regulatory lawyer Udo Seckelmann said the legal risk arises specifically when rewards are tied to favorable reviews rather than simply encouraging participation.
Reclame Aqui said it has opened an internal investigation and has since suspended Betano's reputation status while the review continues, adding that manipulating its indicators is treated as a serious violation.
The regulator Secretariat of Prizes and Bets (SPA) said Brazil's betting regulations require transparency and consumer protection and that it would take appropriate action if irregularities are confirmed.
Betano denied any wrongdoing, saying its incentive programs comply with Brazilian law and are subject to internal eligibility criteria, and that decisions on reviews rest solely with customers.
The Justice Ministry said that offering bonuses unconditionally before a review is submitted would not, in principle, be irregular, but that conditioning bonuses on a positive review could constitute misleading advertising.
The Ministry of Justice and Public Security said it is also monitoring the information
