A bill introduced in the Brazilian Senate proposes a sweeping range of restrictions on online gambling, including esports in the country.
Senator Humberto Costa’s PL 3,754/2025 proposes:
- Raising the minimum legal betting age from 18 to 21
- Restricting online gambling advertising to between 22:00 and 06:00
- Limiting monthly betting to R$1,502 (approx. $290) per person
- Banning sponsorships of sporting, cultural, or educational events by betting companies
Sen. Costa said, “This bill is not just a piece of legislation; it is a wake-up call against a true social epidemic, which affects, above all, our young people, the most vulnerable, those who should be focused on studying, working, and building their dreams, and not trapped in screens that promise easy fortune, but deliver ruin, debt, and despair.”
Brazil introduced new regulations to its gambling market in January this year, and officially allowed users to wager on esports in April.
Esports could be impacted by Senator’s proposals. Image Credit: Krys Amon/Unsplash
A previous bill introduced by Senator Carlos Portinho also proposed restricting the sponsorship of sports teams by betting companies.
Brazil’s soccer clubs opposed the legislation, with 50 teams signing a joint statement urging lawmakers to vote against restricting advertising.
The clubs said restricting gambling advertising could lead to an annual loss of R$1.6 billion (approximately US$285 million). This week, betting company Betano signed a deal with soccer club Flamengo to become its official sponsor.
Esports teams have also made sponsorship deals with betting partners, which would be affected by the bill. This includes the likes of FURIA Esports and Pokerstars, as well as plenty of others.
Bookmakers In Esports For A Long Time In Brazil
Even before new regulations took effect earlier this year, there was a strong connection between betting companies and esports teams in Brazil.
Bruno Silveira, partner and vice‑president of Imperial Esports commented, “The presence of bookmakers in eSports has also been a reality for a long time.
“Practically all the biggest national teams and the main ones in the world have a sponsor from this segment. It was the sector that allowed for a leap in professionalism, greatly increasing the collection in sponsorships.”
Sportingbet previously sponsored Imperial, but the partnership ended last year. Sportingbet’s parent company, Entain, targeted Brazil as an area of growth in its Q2 earnings recently.
However, if the bill proposed by Costa is passed, it would have a big impact on betting companies in the country.
In addition to the impact of reducing advertising and sponsorships, the move to put a monthly cap on user betting would greatly reduce revenue. The cap suggested by Costa is in line with the minimum monthly wage in Brazil.
The bill will now be discussed in the Senate, If approved, it moves to the Chamber of Deputies before going to President Lula for approval.
Adam Roarty
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