Federal government of Brazil requests removal of 348 profiles promoting illegal betting

The federal government of Brazil has requested the removal of 348 influencer profiles that promote unlicensed betting platforms, with a combined audience exceeding 150 million followers. The request was communicated by the Ministry of Justice and Public Security and complements technical actions that have blocked more than 47,000 illicit websites up to 6 November.

By Miguel Sandoval, Corresponsal de regulación.

Scope of the intervention and legal basis

The offensive rests on the publication of Provisional Measure 1.394/2026 of 25 September, which imposed a national prohibition on fixed-odds betting operations. According to the Secretariat of Prizes and Betting (SPA), linked to the Ministry of Economy (Ministry of Finance), authorities have blocked more than 47,000 illegal sites up to 6 November, an average exceeding 1,100 domains blocked per day since the MP entered into force.

The government has shifted focus beyond domains and is now targeting acquisition channels: social networks, messaging groups and intermediary pages used to steer players to unauthorized platforms.

Interagency coordination and takedown request

The request to remove the 348 profiles was led by the Ministry of Justice and Public Security through the National Secretariat for Digital Rights (Sedigi) and the National Secretariat of Public Security (Senasp), with support from the Cyber Operations Laboratory (Ciberlab). The Executive emphasizes that limiting action to site blocking does not prevent promotional content reaching vulnerable consumers through influencers and digital personalities.

Effective execution of the removals depends on the cooperation of the digital platforms that host the profiles.

Independent monitoring and exposure on networks

Studies commissioned by the Associação Nacional de Jogos e Loterias (ANJL) and carried out by LegitBet found that between 21 October and 2 November there were 802 Instagram profiles that promoted 844 distinct betting sites. Approximately 74% of those profiles conducted promotions repeatedly. Most of the reported accounts had between 10,000 and 100,000 followers.

The ANJL, whose president is Plínio Lemos Jorge, warned that these campaigns can expose millions of consumers, including minors, to platforms without standard consumer protections.

Journalistic investigations by Metrópoles also located 87 active betting domains distributed across six Telegram channels that together had more than 43,000 subscribers.

Industry criticism and litigation at the Supreme Court

Industry organisations such as the ANJL have criticised the broad prohibition imposed by MP 1.394/2026, noting that prior to the measure there were 85 legal entities federally authorised to operate in Brazil and that they operated under identification controls and measures to prevent underage gambling.

The legal challenges elevated the matter to the courts. At the request of Attorney General Paulo Gonet, Supreme Federal Court (STF) minister Luiz Fux ordered a national suspension of first-instance lawsuits challenging the constitutionality of the Provisional Measure. That suspension will remain until the STF plenary resolves the pending direct actions of unconstitutionality.

Operational status and next steps

Authorities are maintaining both technical domain-blocking operations and efforts to remove promotional profiles on networks. The Ministry of Justice indicated that the coordinated actions aim to reduce user acquisition through digital channels while the judicial discussion over MP 1.394/2026 continues at the STF.