Brazil’s Attorney General’s Office has issued an urgent extrajudicial notice to Meta, parent company of Facebook and Instagram, demanding the removal of ads promoting unauthorized online betting services. The directive follows the discovery of hundreds of ads from unlicensed operators active on the platform.

Legal Grounds and Immediate Deadline

Under Brazilian law, fixed-odds betting companies must obtain explicit authorization from the Ministry of Finance before operating. Ads from sites lacking this approval, typically indicated by a “.bet.br” domain, are considered illegal. Meta has been given a strict 48-hour deadline to remove the ads and stop promoting such content going forward.

Presumed Liability for Platforms

The notice references a ruling by Brazil’s Supreme Federal Court, which holds that digital platforms may be held liable for illegal paid content unless they act diligently and expeditiously to remove it. Meta’s recently updated ad policies were criticized for still allowing promotional loopholes.

Broader Impact on Advertising Landscape

Legal operators in Brazil welcome the move, especially since domestic advertising of betting services is already under heavy restriction. The regulatory focus may help reduce consumer confusion between licensed and unlicensed platforms and reinforce the legitimacy of Brazil’s emerging regulated gaming market.

Sources: iGaming Business, NEXT.io