Brazil ESPM panel: Enforcement should target influencers and internet providers, not just betting operators

The third panel at ESPM’s event examined the challenges of state enforcement, with experts highlighting consumer protection and platform accountability.

ESPM São Paulo, one of Brazil’s leading universities in communication, hosted an event dedicated to betting regulation, consumer protection and enforcement. 

The third discussion of the day, “Online betting and state enforcement”, featured Yuri Corrêa da Luz, Federal Prosecutor in São Paulo and Professor of Criminal Law; Gabriel Hillen, Federal Judge and specialist in Economic Criminal Law; and Fernando Gonçalves, lawyer and expert in corporate and economic law. 

The panel was moderated by Joana Siqueira, Professor of Criminal Law at ESPM and lawyer with a master’s in Economic Criminal Law.

Speakers underlined the risks posed by inadequate oversight of betting content online, especially when linked to influencers. 

Gonçalves emphasized that both operators and consumers benefit when illegality is tackled effectively, adding that companies must exercise prior control over advertising content and that influencers should also bear accountability when promoting betting to vulnerable audiences.

Luz pointed to the fragility of children and adolescents in Brazil, noting that 83% have social media access and are exposed to gambling content. 

He warned that such exposure can lead to serious consequences including depression and financial harm, stressing that platforms and operators alike share responsibility in preventing violations of child and adolescent rights.

Judge Hillen echoed these concerns, highlighting that hiring influencers whose audience is predominantly underage could indicate intent, reinforcing operator responsibility. 

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The panel concluded that platforms, operators and regulators must work together to create mechanisms, such as complaint channels and algorithmic controls, to ensure compliance and protect vulnerable groups.

By the end of the event, Professor Siqueira said, in an exclusive comment to Gaming America, “State enforcement should target not only betting operators, but also other actors involved in the industry, such as internet service providers and digital influencers.”

Carlos Mendez

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Odds tell a story long before the result does. When bettors learn to read that story properly, betting becomes a matter of discipline and value rather than emotion or guesswork.

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