• Brazil’s Attorney General’s Office ( AGU) has ordered Meta to remove all advertisements from unlicensed betting operators from its Facebook and Instagram platforms within 48 hours.
• The action is enabled by a landmark June 2025 Supreme Court (STF) ruling that holds digital platforms liable for illegal paid content if they fail to act swiftly.
• The AGU argues that Meta’s current content moderation is inadequate and that ads from illegal operators are linked to serious crimes like money laundering and consumer fraud.
• The order comes as Brazil is already considering even stricter, wide-ranging advertising laws, including a potential “whistle-to-whistle” ban during live sports.
• This move signals a major escalation in Brazil’s enforcement against the black market, shifting responsibility directly onto the global tech platforms that distribute the advertising.

Brazil’s government has significantly intensified its crackdown on the illegal gambling market, issuing a directive to social media giant Meta to remove all advertisements from unauthorised betting operators within 48 hours. The order, from the Attorney General’s Office (AGU), applies to both Facebook and Instagram and represents a new front in the country’s battle to protect its newly regulated market.

The AGU stated that the action was necessary after hundreds of active ad campaigns from profiles lacking the required ministerial authorisation were identified. It warned that these illicit operations are often a front for serious crimes, including tax evasion and money laundering.

The Legal Game-Changer: The Supreme Court Ruling

This aggressive enforcement action has been made possible by a pivotal legal development. On 26 June 2025, Brazil’s Federal Supreme Court (STF) delivered a landmark ruling that partially struck down a key article of the country’s internet framework law.

The court’s decision established a new precedent: digital platforms can be held legally liable for illegal paid content circulating on their sites if they don’t prove they acted swiftly to remove it. This has armed Brazilian authorities with a powerful new weapon to compel cooperation from big tech companies. While Meta maintains that its policies already prohibit unauthorised gambling ads, the AGU insists its controls are still “inadequate” and contain too many “loopholes.”

Part of a Broader Advertising Clampdown

The direct order to Meta comes amidst a much wider legislative push to restrict gambling advertising in Brazil. A separate, comprehensive bill has already been approved by the Senate and is now under consideration by the Chamber of Deputies.

If passed, this bill would introduce even more severe restrictions, including a “whistle-to-whistle” ban on ads during live sports broadcasts, a total ban in print media, and a prohibition on the use of celebrity and influencer endorsements.

A Difficult Balancing Act

The action against Meta is a clear signal that the era of passive platform responsibility for advertising content is over in Brazil. The government is now taking a hard line against the entire ecosystem that supports the black market.

For the country’s licensed operators, this is a double-edged sword. While they will welcome the robust enforcement against their illegal competitors, they are also facing the prospect of their own marketing activities being severely curtailed by the other, more sweeping advertising restrictions currently being debated. The future of the market will now depend on the government’s ability to strike a difficult balance between eliminating the black market and ensuring the legal market remains commercially viable.