Betting brands in Brazil most penalised by advertising watchdog
Brands operating in the betting industry, were the most frequently penalized by the National Council for Self-Regulation in Advertising (CONAR) in their rulings from last year.
Consolidated data from a report published by Meio & Mensagem, a Brazilian media outlet that specializes in marketing and advertising insights, reveals that out of 188 finalized processes involving penalties, 42 pertained to advertisers in the betting sector. This figure represents 22.3% of the total, surpassing traditionally penalized sectors like health products and alcoholic beverages. There were no rulings last year in which betting brands were acquitted, resulting in the dismissal of all their cases. The report was gleaned from information released on the council’s website.
In comparison, in 2023, no processes against betting advertising were judged. The change in CONAR’s activity can be put down to the increase in advertising from the gambling sector, especially on social media, and also due to the implementation of Annex X, a set of rules developed specifically for the advertising of betting platforms, approved by CONAR in December 2023 following the federal government’s regulation of betting activities.
Since the start of Annex X in January of last year, CONAR issued, until December, 957 notifications to advertisers, agencies, and influencers regarding the advertising of betting brands—a record number of emissions in one year for a single sector.
According to the report these notifications are issued by the agency’s Preventive Unit before any potential processes are opened and aim to educate, particularly small and medium-sized influencers, about ethical principles, especially regarding the need to inform the public about age restrictions, possible impacts caused by gambling, promises regarding winnings, and misleading representations. Starting in October, notifications were also sent to betting sites not listed among those authorized to engage in the activity.
According to the Meio & Mensagem report, of the 43 betting brands judged and penalized by CONAR last year, only 11 were authorized to operate in the country.
According to the Council, the segment’s participation in the total number of instituted processes jumped from 3% in 2023 to 19% in 2024. Consequently, the sector moved from 9th to 2nd place among the leaders in complaints received by the council, finishing last year only behind the food, juice, and soft drinks market, which accounted for 23% of the initiated processes. Nearly 53% of the 308 actions opened by CONAR in 2024 pertain to advertising published on social media. When it comes to the legal processes, many actions initiated in 2024 will only be ruled upon this year.
