Brazil’s federal government is preparing a decree that would require app stores and digital platforms to implement age-verification systems that block minors from accessing online betting, gaming and other restricted content, a move that could materially reshape how sportsbooks acquire and retain customers across mobile and social channels.
According to the draft described by local reporting, the rules would also apply to websites that display advertising for gambling and similar adult-only services, meaning age-gating could extend beyond the operator’s own domain to parts of the wider ad ecosystem.
The decree is being developed as part of the implementation of Brazil’s ECA Digital (Law No. 15.211/2025), which the Ministry of Justice and Public Security says enters into force on 17 March. The ministry notes the regulation work is being coordinated across government, and that national standards for “age assurance” are being built from a public consultation on verification mechanisms.
For the betting sector, the near-term impact is likely to be felt in three places:
- Mobile distribution: tighter age controls at the app-store level can increase onboarding friction and reduce conversion for any betting-adjacent apps and media partners.
- Paid acquisition: if ad inventory becomes age-gated, reach and targeting may narrow, pushing up CAC and compressing affiliate/paid-social performance.
- Social access controls: requirements that under-16 profiles be linked to a guardian signal a broader tightening of youth access controls, raising compliance expectations for marketing placement and influencer reach.
