Brazil’s National Advertising Self-Regulation Council, CONAR, approved revised standards for betting advertising on August 27, 2026, expanding the scope of Annex X of the Brazilian Advertising Self-Regulation Code. The action is a self-regulatory measure rather than legislation, but it carries commercial importance for licensed betting operators, advertisers, affiliates and digital creators operating in Brazil’s regulated betting market, where scrutiny of advertising practices has increased alongside concerns over minors’ exposure, illegal websites and responsible gambling messaging.
The CONAR Content Council approved the changes following work by its Betting Working Group, known as GT Apostas. The revised Annex X, a wider Self-Regulation Framework for Betting Advertising and a separate checklist on child and adolescent protection were due to be published on August 28.
The package updates the industry body’s advertising principles for the betting sector and sets out more detailed expectations for campaigns across broadcast, online and social media channels. It is intended to apply to advertising content rather than the underlying licensing conditions imposed on betting companies by the Ministry of Finance and its Secretariat of Prizes and Betting, or SPA.
Brazil’s betting market has been moving from a period of broad commercial activity under transitional rules towards a more formal regulatory structure. Advertising has become one of the most visible areas of tension in that process, particularly as operators compete for customer recognition through sports sponsorships, television promotions and arrangements with influencers.
CONAR’s revised standards place consumer protection and responsible gambling at the centre of the framework. The council said the rules also address the need to protect groups considered more vulnerable to gambling-related advertising, including children and adolescents.
The changes were developed using contributions from industry participants and consultations with relevant authorities, according to CONAR. The organisation also considered decisions made by its Ethics Council on hundreds of complaints submitted by consumers under the prior version of Annex X.
That approach reflects CONAR’s role in Brazil. The body is not a government regulator and does not issue betting licences or impose statutory penalties. Instead, it operates a self-regulatory advertising system under which complaints can be assessed by its Ethics Council. Its decisions can require amendments, suspension or withdrawal of advertising materials, depending on the case and the parties involved.
For betting companies, however, CONAR determinations may have practical consequences beyond reputational considerations. Advertising materials that are subject to adverse rulings can require rapid changes across media buying, sponsorship activations, affiliate arrangements and social-media campaigns. The updated framework could therefore add an additional compliance review stage for operators and marketing agencies before content is published.
A central feature of the revisions is the stronger focus on advertising linked to illegal gambling sites. CONAR said the framework broadens measures aimed at identifying, removing, preventing and discouraging promotional material for operators that do not have legal market access.
This distinction is important in Brazil because the regulated market depends on the ability of licensed companies and authorities to differentiate lawful offers from offshore or otherwise unauthorised services. Illegal websites can reach Brazilian consumers through search advertising, social platforms, affiliate websites and creator-led promotions, making enforcement more difficult than in traditional media.
The self-regulatory rules do not replace enforcement powers held by public authorities. Nonetheless, a clearer advertising standard may give media platforms, agencies and commercial partners a more structured basis for rejecting campaigns linked to unlicensed operators. It may also make it harder for brands to argue that promotional material was compliant merely because it was distributed through a third party.
Influencer and affiliate marketing is another area receiving greater attention. The revised framework envisages an accreditation programme for influencers who want to participate in betting campaigns. CONAR also indicated that content produced by accredited or trusted creators would be monitored.
The proposal would introduce a further compliance layer into a marketing channel that has become important to betting brands in Brazil. Affiliates and influencers often work through commercial arrangements that are separate from an operator’s core advertising team, while their content can be rapidly reproduced across multiple social platforms. This can complicate checks on whether campaigns include mandatory warnings, are directed only at adults or make claims that could conflict with responsible gambling principles.
The effectiveness of an accreditation model will depend on how it is implemented and how broadly it is adopted. CONAR has not replaced the statutory responsibilities of operators, nor does an accreditation system remove the need for advertisers to oversee the conduct of third-party promoters. Licensed companies may still face compliance risks if creators, affiliates or agencies publish content that is inconsistent with applicable rules.
The updated framework also refers to Ethics Council decisions involving advertising appeals viewed as incompatible with responsible gambling concepts. While the source material does not specify individual cases, the inclusion of those decisions suggests that CONAR intends to use prior complaint outcomes as a reference point for future campaign assessments.
This may provide marketers with greater clarity in some areas, but it could also result in a more cautious approach to creative material. Betting advertisements are expected to remain commercially prominent, particularly around sports content, but the revised standards increase the importance of demonstrating that communications do not encourage harmful behaviour, mislead consumers or undermine age restrictions.
Mandatory warning messages are another focus of the changes. CONAR said warnings will receive greater prominence in line with requirements set by the Ministry of Finance under SPA/MF Ordinance No. 1,964/2026. The measure links the advertising code more closely to the federal regulatory framework governing betting communications.
For operators, prominence requirements can affect the presentation of campaigns across different formats. A television commercial, a small mobile display placement, an influencer video and a sponsorship post may each require different ways of displaying responsible gambling messages. Companies will need to ensure their creative teams and external partners can apply the requirements consistently without reducing warnings to unreadable or temporary disclosures.
The rules also contain a dedicated child and adolescent protection checklist. CONAR said the checklist is designed to reduce the likelihood that minors are exposed to betting advertising and to discourage the use of imagery, language or cultural elements commonly associated with children’s media.
Among the examples cited by the organisation are humanised animals, which may be more likely to attract younger audiences. Under the checklist, such imagery is recommended only within operators’ own environments where age-selection tools, often referred to as age gates, are in place.
The guidance does not amount to a general prohibition on all characters or visual devices that could appeal to younger viewers. Instead, it gives advertisers a framework for assessing whether specific creative choices could create an inappropriate association between betting and children’s entertainment. It also provides recommendations on clearly identifying messages as intended for adults.
Age gating is widely used in online betting environments, but it has limits as a protective measure when users can enter inaccurate information or access content shared elsewhere. Campaigns distributed through open social platforms, reposted videos or affiliate channels may be difficult to confine to adults. That means operators will need to consider not only the content on their own websites but also the likely audience and distribution path of third-party promotions.
The inclusion of a child-protection checklist could be especially relevant to sponsorship campaigns and social-media content, where betting brands may appear alongside sports, entertainment or personalities with broad audiences. The commercial value of mass reach must be balanced against rules requiring advertisers to avoid directing gambling messages at underage individuals.
CONAR’s decision arrives as Brazilian betting stakeholders adjust to a more demanding compliance environment. Operators holding or seeking market access must manage requirements from the Ministry of Finance while also responding to advertising standards shaped by CONAR, media owners, sports organisations and platform policies. The overlap may increase operational costs, particularly for companies that rely heavily on affiliates and creator-led acquisition.
There is also a competitive dimension. More detailed rules could favour larger licensed companies with established legal, compliance and marketing controls, while smaller operators and marketing intermediaries may find it more difficult to monitor campaigns across a fragmented digital ecosystem. At the same time, the measures may be limited if unauthorised websites continue to obtain exposure through channels beyond the reach of voluntary self-regulation.
CONAR’s framework is therefore likely to be judged by how consistently it is applied to both conventional advertisements and digital promotions. The regulator’s ability to handle consumer complaints, assess rapidly changing online content and coordinate with public authorities will be relevant to whether the standards produce a material change in advertising practices.
The full amended Annex X, the Self-Regulation Framework for Betting Advertising and the child and adolescent protection checklist are scheduled for publication following the Content Council’s August 27 approval. Operators, agencies, affiliates and influencers will need to review the published wording, adapt internal approval processes and monitor subsequent Ethics Council decisions, while Brazilian authorities continue to oversee statutory compliance and action against illegal betting activity.
Sarah Thompson is an editorial byline used by Casino No Deposits for industry news coverage. Articles published under this byline are summarised from reporting by licensed gambling industry news sources and produced with AI assistance, then published against our editorial rules on accuracy, sourcing and tone. They are not first-hand reporting and do not contain personal player accounts. Our full process, including how bonus listings and ratings are maintained separately by our team, is documented in how we review casinos: https://casinonodeposits.com/how-we-review-casinos/
Looking for somewhere to play? See our current no deposit bonus offers, updated with verified codes and full wagering terms.
4.5/5MegawinEU Casino Review
Bonus Code: NDB10
