The debate over banning online betting in Brazil is resurfacing at a sensitive moment in the public discourse, marked by simplistic solutions to complex issues.

In this article, Thiago Iusim, founder and CEO of Betshield Responsible Gaming, analyzes the parallels between the electronic cigarette market and the ‘Bets’ sector, highlighting how attempts to eliminate an activity by decree tend to push it into informality.

According to him, the Brazilian experience shows that prohibition does not eliminate markets — it merely reduces the State’s ability to control them and increases risks for consumers.

Brazil has seen this movie before.

There is a magic solution that always seems to return to public debate, especially in election season, whenever an issue becomes politically inconvenient: ban it.

The logic is seductive. In the political narrative, the issue disappears. In real life, it simply moves elsewhere.

E-cigarettes make that point painfully clear.

Vapes have never been authorized in Brazil. They have been officially banned since 2009. In theory, they should not exist. In practice, they are everywhere, sold through social media, messaging apps, marketplaces, street vendors, and small retail shops, with no sanitary controls, no effective oversight, and no real guarantee of origin.

Prohibition did not eliminate the market.

It only eliminated the possibility of surrounding that market with rules.

A recent CNN report on the surge in e-cigarette seizures helps show the scale of the problem. Brazil did not get rid of vapes. It simply pushed the market into an environment where the state lost the capacity to control it.

The state banned it. Organized crime applauded.

That experience helps explain the current debate around online betting in Brazil.

Bets existed long before Law 14,790/2023. For years, Brazil lived with an active market operating online and from abroad, with no local tax collection, no regulatory oversight, and no effective consumer protection tools.

The activity did not emerge because of the law. The law emerged because the activity already existed.

Regulation was the rational response. It was the way to bring an already existing market into a controllable framework, with licenses, concession fees, user identification, anti-money laundering requirements, advertising rules, and player protection mechanisms.

And yet, just eighteen months later, public debate is once again flirting with the same simplistic solution applied to vapes: the fantasy that prohibition would make the activity disappear.

By now, Brazil should know better.

In the case of betting, the country had chosen a different path: regulate in order to control. Protect consumers. Protect the broader economy.

To now return to prohibition as a response to a market that already exists would be more than a regulatory mistake.

It would be a historical contradiction.

Or perhaps simply the most comfortable expression of a certain kind of public moralism that would rather push an activity into the shadows than acknowledge its existence.

In political discourse, prohibition can sound like victory.

In practice, it often functions as morally comfortable packaging for rushed and politically convenient decisions.

This is nothing more than electoral fantasy. And this time, no one will be able to say they did not know how the story would end.

Thiago Iusim
Founder and CEO of Betshield Responsible Gaming

Backed by Grupo Silvio Santos, founded by Silvio Santos, the company aims to position itself as a platform that goes beyond traditional betting.

In an interview during BiS SiGMA South America, Fernando Justos Fischer, CEO of TQJ, detailed the company’s strategic pillars, the sector’s challenges and its long-term vision for the Brazilian market.

According to Fischer, the current moment is one of consolidation in the regulated market.

The expectation is that the sector will move toward more mature discussions, focusing on compliance, sustainability and user protection.

In this context, the event is seen as a strategic space for alignment between operators, regulators and partners, driving more structured growth.

TQJ’s strategy is based on three main pillars: strengthening brand and distribution by leveraging the group’s assets; a data-driven operation focused on efficient acquisition and sustainable retention; and responsible gaming as a core principle of the business.

All of this, according to the executive, is supported by technology and intelligence applied to the user experience.

The backing of Grupo Silvio Santos is highlighted as a key competitive advantage.

For Fischer, the combination of credibility, scale and expertise in entertainment allows TQJ to position itself as an accessible, trustworthy brand with a strong connection to the Brazilian audience.

The goal is to lead the market in trust and responsibility.

In a highly competitive environment, the company is focusing on integrating proprietary distribution, gamified experiences and the intensive use of data and artificial intelligence for personalization.

Fischer notes that competitive advantage will increasingly lie in retention, supported by advanced CRM, engagement mechanics and solid responsible gaming practices.

During the event, this positioning was also demonstrated in practice.

Bet do Milhão came to life in a live game show format, directly connecting entertainment and betting. The activation generated engagement and reinforced the company’s value proposition.

Among the main challenges in the Brazilian market, Fischer highlights the need to build a sustainable environment amid intense competition, as well as the importance of educating consumers and combating illegal operators.

He states that operators with discipline, governance and a long-term vision will have a competitive advantage.

In terms of responsible gaming, TQJ already implements tools such as deposit limits, self-exclusion, behavioral monitoring and active communication with users.

The company adopts a preventive and continuous approach that goes beyond regulatory compliance.

This monitoring is carried out through real-time behavioral analysis, enabling the identification of risk patterns and allowing for fast and precise interventions.

Fischer emphasizes that the company aims to go beyond regulatory requirements, viewing responsible gaming as both a competitive differentiator and an institutional commitment.

Artificial intelligence plays a central role in the operation. In marketing, it is used for campaign optimization, prediction and content generation.

In product, it supports the continuous evolution of the user experience. In security, it strengthens analysis and protection systems.

Additionally, AI enables deeper integration between entertainment and betting, creating more interactive and personalized experiences.

Features such as real-time personalization and gamified mechanics are already part of the company’s roadmap.

Even so, Fischer stresses that there is a clear limit when it comes to personalization: user protection. All strategies must operate within responsible parameters, without encouraging risky behavior.

In summary, the CEO defines TQJ’s role in this new phase of the market as a platform capable of connecting entertainment and betting in Brazil with responsibility, technology and trust.