Proposal for ban on gambling ads in Portugal moves forward
Parliament will also consider proposals for addiction warnings and a ban on sports sponsorship.
Portugal.- The Portuguese Parliament is to consider tightening regulations on gambling advertising and promotion. In a session on Friday, lawmakers voted to advance five proposals from the left-wing ecologist party Livre to committee stage. These include proposals to restrict online gambling ads, ban sponsorships in sport and add addiction warnings on gambling-related content. A more controversial proposal to ban the sale of scratch cards in healthcare facilities was rejected.
Meanwhile, the Socialist Party has backed a non-binding resolution urging the government to modernise Portugal’s gambling laws. Among the ideas under consideration are the creation of a centralised self-exclusion system, enhanced regulatory oversight, and the use of gambling tax revenues to support tourism in less-developed regions.
Other left-leaning parties including PCP, BE and PAN, have expressed support for the proposals, but the governing PSD described Livre’s approach as overly simplistic and out of proportion. It also said the proposals could present constitutional issues and jeopardise state revenue.
The Portuguese Online Betting and Gambling Association (APAJO) has defended advertising as a vital tool for consumer protection. “Advertising is the only real advantage that licensed operators have over illegal ones. And it’s the only way for Portuguese consumers to distinguish between the licensed and the unlicensed, the safe and the unsafe,” president Ricardo Domingues said in a statement.
He warned that restricting ads could strengthen the black market, highlighting the experience of Italy, where the government is now considering reverting a ban on gambling advertising.
Domingues said measures should focus on targeting the black market. He said 40 per cent of Portuguese online gamblers use illegal platforms, with three-quarters unaware of their status.
The Portuguese gambling sector: current regulation and revenue
Portugal’s gambling sector currently operates under a dual legal framework. Land-based venues such as casinos, bingo halls, and arcades are governed by the Gambling Law of 1989, which restricts operations to designated municipal zones. Online gambling and sports betting, on the other hand, fall under Decree 66/2015.
Overseen by the Gambling Regulation and Inspection Service (SRIJ), licensed online operators must adhere to consumer protection standards and pay taxes at 8 to 16 per cent on sports betting and 25 per cent on online casino revenue. The marked was initially deemed uncompetitive by some operators, but tax rates in other countries in Western Europe have since increased.
In Q1 of this year, Portuguese online gambling revenue dropped quarter-on-quarter for the first time in three years. At €284.7m, the total was up 9 per cent year-on-year but down by 12 per cent compared to the record GGR of €323m reported in the last quarter of 2024. Year on the year, the growth was much lower than the growth seen in previous quarters.
Online casino gross gaming revenue totalled €169.7m, up 6 per cent year-on-year but down 8 per cent quarter-on-quarter. Online sports betting gross revenue came in at €114.9m, a rise of 14 per cent year-on-year but down by 17 per cent compared to Q4 2025.
