Advertising online bets on public transport may be prohibited

A Portuguese Association of Bets and Online Games (APAJO) and the Self-Advertising Regulation (ARP) agreed to develop a sector code that could prohibit advertising in public transport and limit the dissemination of promotional values.

According to a statement released today, the two entities signed a cooperation agreement to develop the first advertising self-regulation code dedicated specifically to the online gambling and betting industry in Portugal.

Among the measures APAJO intends to propose is the ban on online gambling advertising in public transport, as well as the dissemination, in television, radio, cinema and outdoor advertising campaigns, of concrete values of promotional offers and betting quotas (odds).

The association also proposes to prevent the use of messages or images that convey a sense of urgency, such as “bet now”, “register now”, “deposit now” or “win now”.

Another of the proposals is to strengthen and clarify the restrictions on online gambling advertising on television, radio and cinema between 07:00 and 22:30, “except sponsorship cards with static brand logo, without brand signature, institutional or promotional message, nor reference to products, promotions or incentives to participation”.

As regards digital media, the association proposes that advertising be limited to platforms whose audience is predominantly composed of over 18 years of age.

On social networks, advertisers should activate, whenever possible, mechanisms aimed at preventing or limiting access to minors, while influencers may publish content related to online gambling and betting only if they have a predominantly adult audience (18 or more years).

Proposals also include standardization of responsible gaming messages, which should be reassessed annually for their effectiveness.

The agreement between APAJO and ARP also provides for the establishment of a system for the prior validation of advertising campaigns, which is scheduled to be launched in early 2027.

The president of APAJO’s Governing Board, Ricardo Domingues, highlighted, quoted in a statement, that the agreement results from “more than a year of associative work”, in a context in which the sector faces strong competition from “illegal operators.

“ We operate daily in the face of the significant threat of an illegal market that still welcomes 40% to 50% of consumers. The measures were calibrated taking also this determining factor into account ", he said, quoted in the statement.

The association also states that, only during the 2026 World Cup, it detected hundreds of advertising actions of unlicensed brands to operate in Portugal.

In turn, ARP’s CEO Teresa Abecasis Burnay welcomed the voluntary adherence of the sector to the self-regulation process, arguing that “it is not general prohibitions that change behavior, but information, training and clear, effective and proportionate rules, complementary to the law.”.

She stressed that the implementation of the future code should be ensured by prior and binding validation of campaigns before they reach consumers.

The code will be discussed by a working group to be set up in the ARP and will have to be approved in the General Assembly of the entity and there is still no deadline for the completion of the process, although the two associations hope to complete it in the “next months”.

In the meantime, several APAJO associates have already started to adopt some of the proposed measures voluntarily and an internal mechanism is planned to promote their progressive compliance.

APAJO also intends to encourage its members to join the ARP and invite other operators licensed in Portugal to participate in the initiative.