In a rare move for the media industry, 15 Brazilian newsrooms published a joint editorial in late July titled "No gambling ads here," rejecting advertising from betting houses. The initiative, which later gained support from dozens of other outlets, represents a voluntary renunciation of a revenue source at a time of sustainability crisis for the press.
The action evokes historical precedents of media unity, such as the "We Are Not the Enemy" campaign by more than 350 U.S. newspapers in response to Donald Trump's attacks in 2018, the "Je Suis Charlie" front pages after the attack on Charlie Hebdo magazine in 2015, and the 24-hour news blackout in Colombia after the murder of Guillermo Cano, director of El Espectador, in 1986.
The crucial difference in the Brazilian case is that the initiative came from the outlets themselves, anticipating any state regulation. The comparison with tobacco is inevitable: while cigarette advertising was banned by law in several countries – such as in the U.S. in 1971 for radio and TV, and with Philip Morris's exit from youth magazines in 1999 – in the case of gambling, the press is imposing its own limit.
The concern is based on concrete numbers: millions of Brazilians bet on regulated platforms during 2025, with estimated losses in billions of dollars. Demand for treatment for gambling problems in the public health system grew 137% in five years.
Major platforms like Google allow gambling ads under specific licenses, and Brazil is among the enabled countries. During the World Cup, these ads proliferated using players and coaches as celebrity endorsers, generating conflicts of interest.
The question that arises is why similar restrictions don't exist for alcohol advertising, since alcohol, tobacco, and gambling are legal activities but subject to advertising restrictions. The World Health Organization warns about the risks of alcohol consumption, but it maintains a cultural and economic legitimacy that guarantees it a privileged place in sports advertising.
It remains to be seen whether the Brazilian press's decision will extend to other countries or influence major digital platforms. For now, Brazilian media have done something rare in an industry in need of revenue: they bet on a cause even when it costs them money.