Brazil’s Attorney General’s Office has notified Google to remove YouTube channels accused of promoting illegal online betting and providing tutorials on how to create unauthorised casino platforms.
The Advocacia-Geral da União, known as AGU, sent an extrajudicial notice to Google in Brazil demanding the removal of profiles that allegedly encourage unregulated gambling activity, including online jogo do bicho, the long-running illegal numbers game. The notice was sent on July 3, according to Brazilian media reports.
The AGU said the measure is intended to combat breaches of national law and ensure compliance with decisions of Brazil’s Supreme Federal Court. The action was led by the National Prosecutor’s Office for the Defence of Democracy, which identified videos said to include instructions on creating casino platforms and promoting unauthorised gambling products.
According to the AGU, some profiles presented themselves as digital marketing service providers while distributing content that encouraged unregulated gambling. The agency said the material may facilitate activity that constitutes a criminal misdemeanour under Decree-Law No. 3,688/1941.
Brazil’s regulated betting framework requires fixed-odds betting operators to obtain authorisation and certification before operating in the digital market. Law 14.790/2023 established the legal basis for the regulated fixed-odds betting and online gaming sector, with enforcement increasingly focused on separating licensed operators from illegal and offshore activity.
The AGU warned that the continued availability of the videos could create liability for the platform, saying failure to remove the content may result in joint civil responsibility. Brazilian reports said the agency also pointed to wider risks including consumer harm, tax evasion and money laundering.
For licensed operators, suppliers, affiliates and media platforms, the intervention underlines the next phase of Brazil’s regulatory enforcement. After opening its regulated betting market, authorities are now turning attention to promotion, platform visibility and the digital infrastructure that allows illegal gambling offers to reach consumers.
The move also places major technology platforms more directly inside Brazil’s betting enforcement perimeter. YouTube’s role is not that of a gambling operator, but the AGU’s notice signals that authorities expect digital platforms to act against content that facilitates illegal gambling activity.
