Even in the face of the ban and after several police operations against online casinos, Brazilian influencers continue to use their social networks to advertise this type of content, including Jogo do Tigrinho.
Some of these influencers have millions of followers, expanding the reach of these advertising campaigns.
Experts warn that these practices can result in punishment for influencers, including civil and criminal sanctions for misleading followers and false advertising.
A CNN identified several Brazilian profiles that are promoting these games. One example is an influencer with more than 2.5 million followers, whose main content is centered on “dance and travel”.
Despite this description, it is common to find advertisements for digital casinos in their daily posts in stories and highlighted on their Instagram profile.
Another influencer, with more than 3 million followers, also advertised a similar game in recent days.
Recently, he posted a story where he placed bets while driving mentioning having achieved his “earnings goals”.
A third influencer, with almost 400 thousand followers, uses her profile to, theoretically, display trips to destinations such as Cancun, Abu Dhabi and Dubai while daily promoting digital casinos, highlighting: “you can also win with low amounts, you don’t need to bet a lot”.
Furthermore, a Brazilian rap group with almost half a million followers including one member with 200,000 followers, also regularly promotes online casino games on their official profile.
What the experts say
Fernanda Prates, a law professor at the Getúlio Vargas Foundation (FGV) in Rio de Janeiro, explained to CNN that influencers who spread misleading information about betting may be subject to article 50 of the Law on Criminal Offenses, which defines the penalties for “establishing or exploring gambling in a public place or place accessible to the public, with or without payment of admission”.
Furthermore, he highlighted that these influencers may face civil liability if they are knowingly misleading bettors. Depending on the case, such practices may be considered specific crimes, especially related to consumer relations.
Filipe Medon, also a professor at FGV Direito Rio, added that the responsibility of influencers focuses mainly on the advertising they do, especially when it is misleading or abusive.
He clarified that digital platforms currently cannot be held responsible for damages caused by content posted by third parties unless they receive a specific court order to remove the infringing content.
The professor highlighted that legislative proposals, such as the “Fake News Bill”, aim to impose a duty of care on platforms, requiring them to moderate content in specific situations in advance.
Game-related incidents
Over the last few weeks, police in several Brazilian states have carried out operations against the so-called Jogo do Tigrinho.
At the end of June, a nurse from Piracicaba, in the interior of São Paulo, was located after having been missing for a week. The family believes that she disappeared after getting into debt because of Jogo do Tigrinho.
The São Paulo Public Security Department also reported that, from last year until June 27, around 500 incidents related to Jogo do Tigrinho had been registered at police stations in the state.
What Meta, owner of Instagram, says
Wanted by CNN Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, where most of these disclosures are located, said it is “committed to limiting the spread of spam and misleading content on its platforms.”
See the company’s positioning:
“We work hard to limit the spread of spam on Facebook and Instagram because we don’t allow content that could mislead users.
We understand that this type of content creates a negative experience and undermines people’s ability to authentically engage with their communities, and we seek to prevent people from abusing our platforms, products, or features to artificially increase viewership or mass distribute content for commercial gain.
Additionally, we encourage people to report profiles that may violate our policies. To report an account or post that you believe violates Meta’s Community Standards, please follow the instructions below:
Tap “…” at the top right of the post; Tap Report; Follow the on-screen instructions.
Users can also review and remove potential bot and spam followers from their follower lists. If they are officially spam, the accounts will not be able to follow you without your confirmation. For step-by-step instructions on how to review potential spam accounts and how to remove them, click here (for Instagram) and here (for Facebook).
Source: CNN Brasil
I’m James Harper, a highly experienced and accomplished news writer for World Stock Market. I have been writing in the Politics section of the website for over five years, providing readers with up-to-date and insightful information about current events in politics. My work is widely read and respected by many industry professionals as well as laymen.
