The Portuguese Parliament will once again open debates on tightening controls over gambling advertising and promotions.
On Friday, Parliament referred five initiatives from the Livre party to the relevant committee for further consideration. Among the proposals are restrictions on online gambling advertising, a sponsorship ban, and the introduction of mandatory addiction warnings. At the same time, proposals to prohibit sales or limit the availability of instant lottery tickets in healthcare establishments were rejected.
Lawmakers will also revisit the issue of imposing advertising restrictions, banning gambling promotion by influencers and public figures. In addition, ministers will discuss the relationship between Portuguese sports and betting companies, as well as new obligations to strengthen consumer warnings on online platforms and games of chance.
The Socialist Party (PS) supported a non-binding resolution urging the government to review and modernise the gambling regulatory framework.
New measures may include the creation of a centralised self-exclusion system, strengthening regulatory oversight, and possibly allocating gambling revenues to support tourism in the country’s interior regions.
Currently, Portugal’s gambling industry is regulated under a dual system. Land-based casinos, slot arcades and bingo halls are governed by the 1989 Gambling Law, which limits operations to state-designated “municipal zones.”
Online gambling and sports betting have been regulated since 2015 under Decree-Law 66/2015, overseen by the Gambling Regulation and Inspection Service (SRIJ). Licensed operators must comply with strict consumer protection rules and pay taxes: online sports betting is taxed on turnover at 8–16% (depending on wagering levels), while online casinos face a 25% tax on gross gaming revenue (GGR).
The introduction of the 2015 law led to the exit of many international operators, who considered Portugal’s tax regime unfeasible, strengthening the position of domestic firms. However, as tax rates rose across Western Europe, Portugal’s framework gradually came to be seen as more favourable. Since then, the SRIJ has issued licences to new operators, expanding the market.
Political reactions revealed significant divisions over Livre’s initiatives. Left-wing parties – Livre, PCP, BE and PAN – have actively pushed for stricter restrictions, while larger parliamentary groups warned against “blanket bans.” The ruling Social Democratic Party (PSD) accused Livre of pursuing a “ban for the sake of ban” policy, ignoring constitutional and proportionality concerns, while the PS stressed that excessive measures could undermine state revenues.
The conservative bloc of Chega, IL and CDS-PP criticised the initiatives as paternalistic and disproportionate. Chega branded Livre’s proposals “Stalinist tendencies of a party seeking attention.”
The Portuguese Online Betting and Gambling Association (APAJO) quickly responded in defence of advertising, stating that it is “the only way” for players to distinguish licensed operators from illegal ones.
“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,” said APAJO president Ricardo Domingues in a statement circulated to Iberian press agencies.
APAJO warned that restrictions would favour the black market, citing the Italian example where advertising bans have backfired. The association accused Livre of “a clear lack of knowledge of the matter” and acting out of “ideological or personal prejudice and political opportunism”.
Domingues stressed that around 40% of Portuguese online gamblers still use illegal platforms, with three quarters unaware they are doing so. He argued that licensed operators comply with SRIJ rules, while illegal sites often allow minors or self-excluded players to gamble and have been linked to match-fixing.
Livre MPs countered that gambling is becoming increasingly “invisible” and addictive, particularly among young people using mobile phones and computers. They insist advertising must not glorify gambling or target vulnerable groups, while APAJO argues that without visibility, licensed firms cannot compete with unregulated rivals.
The reopening of parliamentary debate signals that Portugal will once again reassess where the balance of gambling governance should lie between consumer protections and market viability.
Committees will now decide whether to tighten advertising restrictions in line with Livre’s vision, or to adopt the PS’s softer approach of modernising the framework with new controls, supervision and regulatory powers.
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