Brazil’s Federal Public Ministry in Brasília opened a civil inquiry on 3 June to determine whether the federal government neglected its duty to regulate and monitor advertising by online sports-betting platforms, following complaints of “abusive and misleading” promotions during World Cup broadcasts on the CazéTV streaming channel. The investigation will examine if the Union’s actions comply with constitutional provisions on advertising services that may harm public health and household economies, the ministry said. The move came as a separate report by the Folha de S.Paulo newspaper revealed that the Lula administration itself drafted a 2023 legislative amendment that removed proposed restrictions on gambling advertisements, a text later introduced by a senator without official government identification. The amendment, written by an official then at the Ministry of Justice and now a director in the presidency’s communications secretariat, argued that time and channel restrictions would compromise commercial free speech and that self-regulation by the advertising industry should suffice.

According to the ministry, the inquiry will requisition documents from the Secretariat of Prizes and Bets, the national consumer secretary, the central bank, the advertising self-regulatory council Conar, and broadcasters. The ministry stated its primary objective is to safeguard vulnerable groups, especially children and adolescents exposed to popular media events. Critics from the University of São Paulo’s pathological gambling programme contend that the amendment’s removal of restrictions exposed millions of young people to aggressive betting advertising, contradicting the government’s stated aim of strengthening protections. The government has not commented on the inquiry, while the Ministry of Justice said the amendment sought to ensure greater effectiveness in shielding minors by prohibiting any communication targeting them as an audience.

In Australia, the Labor government is advancing legislation that will remove the current blackout on gambling advertisements during live sports on streaming services. Government sources confirmed that under the new laws, platforms will be permitted to show unlimited wagering ads during half-time and quarter-time breaks to registered adult users who have not explicitly opted out. Communications Minister Anika Wells described the registration, age-assurance, and opt-out requirements as a “triple-lock” function that would protect children at all times. Opposition Liberal MP Simon Kennedy countered that the bill “creates a new right for streaming services to show gambling ads during every break in live sport,” arguing it expands rather than curtails advertising. The debate unfolds as viewing habits shift: audience data from the World Cup showed nearly half of viewers watched via streaming.

These regulatory battles coincide with parallel efforts to limit minors’ exposure to digital platforms. A Pew Research Center survey in the United States found that 56 percent of adults support banning social media for those under 16, with 85 percent backing mandatory parental consent for account creation. In Australia, the government’s attempt to strengthen its world-first under-16 social media ban has been delayed by an eight-week Senate inquiry, a move Prime Minister Anthony Albanese condemned, saying tech giants would use the time to delete incriminating documents. The eSafety Commissioner had reported that seven in ten children remained on restricted platforms months after the ban took effect. Meanwhile, parents’ groups in Malaysia argue that digital literacy and open communication, rather than blanket bans, are the most effective defence against online harms. The Brazilian inquiry is in its early information-gathering phase, while the Australian gambling bill and social media amendments remain before parliament.