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São Paulo is set to become the latest Brazilian city to tighten restrictions on betting advertising, with Mayor Ricardo Nunes indicating he will sign legislation banning the promotion of betting operators in municipal public spaces once it is approved by the city council.
According to reports first published by VEJA magazine’s Radar column, Nunes said the bill would be sanctioned on the same day it is passed by councillors, signalling the municipal administration’s support for stricter controls on gambling marketing.
The proposal, Bill (PL) 560/2025, was introduced by councillor João Jorge and has already received approval from the City Council’s Constitution and Justice Committee. The measure would prohibit advertising by fixed-odds betting operators in public spaces under municipal control, including street furniture, bus shelters, clocks, billboards and other locations where advertising concessions are granted by the city.
Brazilian media reports say the bill would impose fines of R$50,000 per infringement. Repeat violations could lead to suspension of the advertiser’s municipal operating licence, while contracts for advertising in public spaces could also be terminated.
If enacted, São Paulo would join a growing number of Brazilian municipalities moving to restrict betting advertising at the local level. Earlier this month, Rio de Janeiro introduced a similar ban through a mayoral decree, prohibiting betting advertisements in municipal public spaces such as bus shelters, kiosks, clocks and other street furniture managed by the city.
The municipal measures come amid a broader national debate over gambling advertising in Brazil. Lawmakers and public health experts have recently raised concerns that the rapid growth of sports betting and online casino marketing is normalising gambling and contributing to rising levels of debt and gambling-related harm. Their concerns coincide with the consideration of legislation that would impose a nationwide ban on betting advertising.
During a recent hearing before the Chamber of Deputies’ Sports Committee, researchers, addiction specialists and healthcare professionals argued that the proliferation of betting advertisements across television, online platforms and social media is encouraging excessive gambling and increasing the risk of gambling-related harm.
