Two of Brazil's main pediatric bodies plan to join the debate over the betting ban and ask that it be kept.
The Brazilian Society of Pediatrics (SPB) and the Brazilian Academy of Pediatrics (ABP) have sent a document to the Supreme Federal Court (STF) requesting that the restriction on betting be maintained, asking the Supreme Federal Court (STF) and Congress to hear their arguments on the risks online betting poses to children's health and development.
The pediatricians are following Provisional Measure (MP) 1,394/2026, which banned the operation, offer, intermediation and advertising of online in Brazil, and want to take part in public hearings on it in Congress.
They mention three concerns: how easy it is to reach digital platforms, the association between betting and sport, and advertising that presents gambling as a financial opportunity.
Together, the doctors say, these factors weaken impulse control and the ability to judge consequences correctly.
The SBP also argues that betting affects children who never bet themselves. They are exposed to the debt of families that do, which can mean money being diverted from food, education and health to pay for bets.
The society pointed to recent conclusions from the World Health Organization (WHO), which now recognizes disorders and harmful patterns linked to gambling and betting.
"In the joint committee that will discuss the MP, the specialists hope to have the opportunity to present data and their arguments in favor of the health of the child and adolescent population," the SBP said.
Last July, Brazil's Secretariat of Prizes and Bets (SPA) fined Blaze BR2.3m ($451,000) over advertising material featuring children and adolescents and aimed at audiences under 18.
A poll published two days before the ban found that 75% of Brazilians believe online betting should be banned
