The case of betting advertising on CazéTV is at the center of an investigation into abusive advertising by betting sites.
The National Consumer Secretariat (Senacon), linked to the Ministry of Justice and Public Security, opened a preliminary investigation into the advertising insertions of betting houses during the broadcast of World Cup games on the channel.
In addition, the Secretariat of Prizes and Bets (SPA), under the Ministry of Finance, also notified CazéTV to provide clarifications in a proceeding regarding the campaigns of bet365, Betnacional, and KTO.
The National Council for Advertising Self-Regulation (Conar), in turn, decided to suspend, on the 26th, the insertion of advertisements during the hosts’ comments on the channel, with content related to odds and winning probabilities.
Why is betting advertising on CazéTV being investigated?
Although betting advertising on CazéTV is in the sights of three different institutions, what motivated the investigations is something in common: possible advertising abuse.
According to Senacon documents accessed by UOL, commentators and narrators participated in the commercial actions featured on the channel during the broadcast of the games.
Thus, the secretariat is examining whether mechanisms were used to distinguish between sports content and advertising, and whether this was clear to the viewer.
In addition, the odds shown live and the availability of QR Codes directing viewers to betting house promotions will also be investigated by Senacon.
Another line of investigation is being conducted by SPA. Through an administrative proceeding, the agency demanded explanations about CazéTV and its betting advertising.
According to SPA, the content of the insertions indicated urgency to bet. The mandatory responsible gambling warnings were also reportedly illegible, indicating non-compliance with the legislation.
What does the law say about betting advertising?
Current legislation does not prohibit betting advertising, but it does set out strict rules on how the content must be disclosed.
Under Law 14,790/2023 and SPA/MF Ordinance No. 1,231/2024, advertising and commercial insertions cannot encourage urgency to bet, nor associate betting with extra income or investment.
Other key aspects relate to the mandatory responsible gambling warnings and clear distinction of advertising, points that are central to the investigation of the CazéTV betting advertising case.
Which CazéTV advertisements are being investigated?
According to UOL, the Senacon report cites the broadcast of three World Cup games by CazéTV: Uruguay x Cape Verde, Argentina x Austria, and England x Ghana.
Regarding the first game, the insertion under investigation is from KTO, encouraging viewers to bet on the company’s website.
In the match between Argentina and Austria, Senacon points to the advertising of Betnacional’s odds inserted as commentary by the narrators.
And finally, in the match between England and Ghana, the Betnacional campaign aired during the hydration break encouraged access to the betting site, including via the QR Code displayed on screen.
Why is CazéTV broadcasting the games?
The broadcasting rights for the World Cup in Brazil were purchased by the company that operates the CazéTV channel, LiveMode.
As a result, the platform began broadcasting the 2026 World Cup games for free on YouTube and, since then, had reached more than 100 million unique devices by early July.
Bet365, KTO, and Betnacional are in the spotlight
It is not only CazéTV that will be investigated, but also the operators bet365, KTO, and Betnacional.
Both have contracts with the channel and were notified by SPA regarding the advertising of their betting services on CazéTV.
If found guilty, the fine applied could reach R$ 2 billion and, if necessary, the Secretariat may also suspend the betting houses’ licenses.
According to SPA, the companies have up to 10 days to provide clarifications. So far, none of them have commented on the matter.
Changes in the advertising format
After being notified by SPA, Senacon, and Conar, CazéTV sent two statements to the company. The first one stated that the advertising aired on the channel “observes Brazilian legislation, Conar’s guidelines, and industry best practices.”
It also argued that the channel works only with regulated operators, as required by Law 14,790 of 2023.
Subsequently, CazéTV announced that it had made changes to its campaigns to address the points raised by Conar, also stating that it will respond to the agency within the stipulated deadline.
Some videos on the channel were also removed or edited, with only 19 games available in the Full Games playlist, while 72 matches were broadcast during the group stage alone.
Next steps in the CazéTV case
Now, the main next step in the case is for the Treasury to receive clarifications from both CazéTV and the companies KTO, bet365, and Betnacional, which must be done within 10 days.
If it results in a sanctioning action, fines, warnings, and temporary license suspension may be applied.
Conar and Senacon may also proceed with the investigation and apply other measures, such as extending the suspension of advertising insertions on the channel or opening an administrative proceeding.
In any case, the case still opens the door to setting a precedent in the industry regarding the disclosure of odds during matches, the use of QR codes during broadcasts, and advertising integrated into the commentary of narrators and commentators.