Brazilian Senator Targets Sports Betting Industry

Brazilian Senator Eduardo Girão has intensified his campaign against the country’s growing sports betting industry, urging the government to repeal current betting laws and impose a full ban on gambling activities. Speaking at a Senate plenary session on Friday, Girão warned of the negative consequences betting has had on Brazil’s football sector and wider society, highlighting rising addiction rates and increased family debt as urgent issues.

Brazil’s regulated online betting market officially launched on January 1, 2025. Since then, Girão has become a vocal critic of the sector’s rapid expansion, which he claims has led to significant social harm. The senator’s concerns come amid ongoing discussions about legalizing land-based betting operations, including casinos and bingo halls, a move Girão strongly opposes.

The Developments

“We need to stop this humanitarian tragedy that is betting,” Girão stated emphatically. “Only a few win: tycoons. And those who lose are millions.” He stressed the importance of halting further expansion of the gambling industry, pointing to a lack of social responsibility among some lawmakers pushing to approve new gambling facilities in the near future.

In late 2024, Girão authored a bill aimed at repealing Brazil’s betting legislation entirely. However, the bill remains stalled without a rapporteur appointed to advance it through the Senate. Despite this, Girão’s recent speech signals his intention to keep pressing the issue as the government weighs potential new votes on gambling laws.

Alongside his repeal proposal, Girão is advocating for stricter regulations on betting advertising. He is the author of Bill PL 3,405/2023, which would ban the use of celebrities in sports betting advertisements, as well as Bill PL 2,985/2023, designed to limit the hours during which betting ads can be broadcasted. Both bills are scheduled for consideration this Wednesday by the Senate Sports Commission, and if passed, will move on to the Communication and Digital Law Commission for a final decision.

Girão has also voiced concern over the relationship between Brazil’s football clubs and betting companies, arguing that football has become overly dependent on sponsorship revenue from the gambling sector. To address possible misconduct, he has called for the creation of a Parliamentary Inquiry Commission (CPI) to investigate the Brazilian Football Federation (CBF) and its connections to betting firms.

The CPI on betting, chaired by Senator Soraya Thronicke, has reportedly faced significant challenges in investigating major betting companies and their sponsorships. Thronicke stated, “We are having enormous difficulty – enormous – in investigating large betting companies that sponsor games in Brazil; the CBF, for example.”

We need to stop this humanitarian tragedy that is betting. Only a few win: tycoons. And those who lose are millions. For me, it has to end.

The Future

Senator Girão’s opposition to gambling legislation has been longstanding. Earlier this year, he ran unsuccessfully for Senate president, losing to Davi Alcolumbre, a known advocate for the betting industry. The contrast between their positions highlights the growing political divide on the future of gambling in Brazil.

As the debate intensifies, Girão’s push to repeal existing laws and introduce tighter restrictions reflects growing concerns over the social and economic impacts of betting, especially its influence on one of Brazil’s most cherished cultural institutions—football. The coming weeks may prove decisive as lawmakers prepare to vote on key legislation that will shape the country’s gambling landscape.