The Senate Sports Committee (CEsp) will schedule a public hearing to discuss two bills that aim to restrict the advertising of sports betting services. The requests to discuss the topics, presented by senators Carlos Portinho (PL-RJ) and Jorge Kajuru (PSB-GO), were approved on Wednesday (12).
The first project on the agenda, PL 2,985/2023, authored by Senator Styvenson Valentim (PSDB-RN), proposes a total ban on advertising fixed-odds betting services, known as “bets”.
On the other hand, PL 3,405/2023, proposed by Senator Eduardo Girão (Novo-CE), seeks to veto the participation of athletes and celebrities in advertisements for sports betting platforms.
Senator Styvenson Valentim argues: “Given the economic power accumulated by betting companies, the Legislature must act to establish the limits of the activity.”
This statement highlights concerns about the growing influence of betting companies in the Brazilian sports scene.
Senator Girão’s project aims to expand restrictions; he proposes including in current legislation a ban on advertising carried out by sports teams, athletes and former athletes.
In addition, presenters and commentators from any modality and media. The proposal also includes celebrities and digital influencers.
Debate on sports betting in the Senate Plenary
Senator Carlos Portinho, rapporteur of Bill 2,985/2023, requested that the debate take place in April, preferably in the Senate Plenary. He emphasized the importance of inviting representatives with different positions on the topic to enrich the discussion.
The president of CEsp, Senator Leila Barros (PDT-DF), promised to meet the requests and guaranteed speed in the process. However, it is important to emphasize that the specific date for the debate has yet to be scheduled.
In addition, the committee postponed the vote on two other bills. The first, Bill 3,742/2024, by Senator Jorge Kajuru, aims to establish procedures to protect the image and dignity of athletes injured during matches.
The second, PL 4,439/2024, by Senator Leila Barros, proposes raising awareness among athletes in training about the time limit of their sports career.
Finally, the term “bets”, an abbreviation of the English word “betting”, refers to online platforms that offer sports betting services. The growing popularity of these platforms has sparked debates about regulation and ethics in Brazilian sports.
