Key points:
- Rio authorities issued notices over 300 entities promoting betting platforms, including influencers and media firms
- Parties will have ten days to prove compliance with consumer protection rules
- Measures include responsible marketing, protections for vulnerable individuals and clearer service disclosures
The authorities in Rio de Janeiro are taking a firmer stance on influencer marketing within the gambling sector. The State Department of Consumer Protection, alongside Procon-RJ, the Brazilian consumer protection agency, will issue notices on more than 300 entities, including social media influencers, betting operators, broadcasters, advertising agencies and tech firms regarding their promotional conduct.
Among those to be formally notified are several public figures who have appeared before Brazil’s recent CPI das Bets, the national parliamentary inquiry into the online betting market, including prominent influencers such as Virginia Fonseca, the most followed influencer in Brazil.
The influencers and companies will have ten days to demonstrate compliance with consumer protection legislation or face administrative proceedings and potential fines.
The demands include clearer communication around betting services, safeguards for underage and vulnerable individuals, mechanisms to prevent excessive debt, responsible advertising standards as well as effective customer support channels.
Good to know: The Brazilian Senate has approved a bill introducing stricter restrictions on national gambling advertising
According to officials, the move is intended to curb the unchecked promotion of betting platforms and enforce stricter accountability across all actors involved, in order to protect consumers.
This move follows recent hearings at the Senate’s CPI das Bets, which scrutinised the role of influencers and advertising in Brazil’s online gambling ecosystem and recent crackdowns on illegal betting activities.
