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Brazil’s Federal Public Ministry (MPF) has launched a civil public inquiry to investigate whether the federal government has adequately regulated and supervised advertising by online sports betting platforms during broadcasts of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, raising fresh questions about the enforcement of the country’s gambling legislation.
The inquiry, opened by the MPF’s office in the Federal District, was triggered by complaints about allegedly abusive and misleading advertisements aired during World Cup match transmissions on CazéTV, a popular YouTube-based streaming channel.
According to the Communications Office, Federal Prosecutor’s Office in the Federal, the investigation will closely follow “the impact of these commercial pieces and the behaviour of those responsible for the broadcast.”
The dispatch opening the case states that the MPF identified “the need to evaluate whether the federal government failed to apply the rules of Law No. 14.790/2023” — the legislation governing fixed-odds sports betting in Brazil enacted in December 2023. Investigators will assess whether the government’s actions are “sufficient to fulfil what the Constitution determines regarding the advertising of services that may be harmful to the health and finances of families.”
A central concern is the protection of vulnerable groups. The MPF’s stated primary objective is “to guarantee the safety of the most vulnerable groups, especially children and adolescents who watch programmes and events with broad popular appeal.” The inquiry specifically questions what practical measures are being adopted to limit the reach of betting advertisements, and whether any regulatory proposals are under study “to prohibit advertising from reaching minors or other vulnerable groups.”
To establish the facts, the MPF has formally requisitioned information and documents from a broad range of public bodies. These include the Secretariat of Prizes and Betting at the Ministry of Finance, the National Consumer Secretariat (Senacon) at the Ministry of Justice and Public Security, the National Advertising Self-Regulation Council (Conar), the Central Bank of Brazil, broadcast channels covering the tournament, and various academic and research institutions.
The inquiry forms part of a broader regulatory and public debate surrounding Brazil’s fast-growing online betting sector, which has faced mounting criticism over aggressive marketing practices since fixed-odds sports betting was formally legalised. The 2023 legislation was intended to bring structure and oversight to a market that had previously operated in a legal grey area, but enforcement of its advertising provisions has come under increasing scrutiny from consumer groups, lawmakers, and now federal prosecutors.
