Portugal to put a stop to live gambling odds advertising
SRIJ brings in new regulation which bans the posting of live odds during sporting events online or in-venue
Portuguese gambling regulator SRIJ has published guidance that outlaws the displaying of in-play odds in real-time.
This means that operators can no longer publish live odds on matches on any online platform or on LED advertising boards inside stadiums or sporting arenas.
The SRIJ said any appearance of live, up-to-date odds would be considered illegal advertising and the operator responsible would face regulatory sanctions.
The new rule comes after proposals were unanimously approved in Portugal last year to try to establish limits on gambling advertising.
Four bills passed in October last year outlined that gambling advertising needed to be treated similarly to alcohol, and that it should be banned between 7am and 10:30pm on TV and radio.
The decision to prohibit live odds in Portugal follows similar regulations in other European markets, including the Netherlands, where advertising is banned during sporting events to try to curb impulsive betting.
Last month, the Dutch regulator issued a warning to an unnamed operator for posting live match odds on Twitter during football matches.
The operator in question tweeted updates on the matches and, in some posts, quoted the odds with a direct link to its site where players could place bets on the match.