The Brazilian National Association of Gambling and Lotteries (ANJL) recently strongly refuted a class action lawsuit initiated by the Rio de Janeiro Public Defender's Office (DPRJ) against 43 gambling companies, calling the allegations "baseless" and warning against confusing the legal and illegal gambling markets.
The lawsuit accuses operators of not fully implementing responsible gambling obligations, containing misleading statements in advertisements, and demanding compensation for mental damages amounting to 300 million Brazilian Reais (approximately 53.9 million US dollars). The DPRJ believes that slogans such as "responsible betting" are hollow and have not effectively protected players, even shifting the risk responsibility to consumers.
In response, ANJL issued a statement emphasizing that the regulated gambling market has been fulfilling its regulatory duties, and all legal operators strictly follow current advertising standards. The association pointed out that DPRJ's claims ignore the industry's efforts to promote responsible advertising, especially at the level of industry self-regulation.
It is worth mentioning that ANJL was involved in drafting the "Advertising Standards Annex X" issued by the Brazilian Advertising Self-Regulation Council (Conar) in 2024, which clearly defines the compliance boundaries of gambling advertising content and has been widely implemented.
The lawsuit list includes well-known brands such as bet365, Betfair, and Betano. ANJL emphasizes that the line between legal operators and gray platforms should not be blurred due to extreme views.
ANJL finally stated: "In any legal procedure, it is necessary to ensure that the boundaries between legal and illegal are clear and distinct, to avoid misleading public opinion with language detached from reality."
