Portugal’s online gambling review: advertising limits first, live casino still waiting
Portugal’s review of its online gambling rules is moving more slowly than promised. In June the Minister of Economy, Manuel Castro Almeida, said new legislation would be approved over the summer. The most concrete step since then came on 17 September 2026, when the Secretary of State for Tourism, Pedro Machado, told Parliament the Government is prepared to change the Advertising Code for online gambling and betting. No timetable was given.
In brief
- The Government says a change to the Advertising Code would have three aims: stronger protection of minors, rules adapted to digital media, and more effective enforcement. It would also restrict the use of well-known public figures in gambling advertising.
- The regulator SRIJ and the operators’ association APAJO have each sent the Government proposals for changing the online gambling regime (RJO).
- APAJO asks for live casino to be allowed, and for bonus buy, bet boost, cash-out and bet builder to be regulated.
- The licensed market keeps growing: gross gaming revenue reached €328.2m in the second quarter of 2026, up 14.4% year on year.
What was said in Parliament
The debate on 17 September covered eight proposals from the Livre party, including a specific regime for advertising by public figures and digital influencers, a ban on sponsorship by gambling operators and a universal self-exclusion that would apply across all licensed sites. According to ECO, they did not gain consensus. The Socialist Party (PS) presented seven proposals of its own, among them simpler self-exclusion, a public list of unlicensed entities and the blocking of payments linked to unlicensed gambling. The PSD said it has an initiative recommending a revision of the regime.
Pedro Machado put the illegal market at €250m to €500m. He also said SRIJ had detected 867 advertising messages in 2026 involving 25 influencers.
What licensed operators are asking for
APAJO, which represents eight licensed operators, delivered a document to SRIJ and the Government built around four themes: action against illegal gambling, a broader product range, better licensing and operating conditions, and responsible gambling. Its president, Ricardo Domingues, argues that the regulated market needs a fuller offer to compete with unlicensed sites.
| Topic | Proposal | From |
|---|---|---|
| Advertising | Tighter Advertising Code: minors, digital media, public figures | Government |
| Advertising | Continued self-regulation based on SRIJ’s good-practice manual | APAJO |
| Live casino | Allow live dealer games | APAJO |
| Games of chance | Regulate bonus buy and bet boost | APAJO |
| Sports betting | Regulate cash-out and bet builder | APAJO |
| Self-exclusion | Simpler self-exclusion; one exclusion valid on all licensed sites | PS, Livre |
| Illegal gambling | Public list of unlicensed entities, payment blocking, a criminal offence for promoting illegal gambling | PS, APAJO |
By 21 August, ECO reported, nothing had changed in the law and neither the regulator nor the minister’s office had answered its questions.
What it means for operators and suppliers
Nothing changes until a text is published, so the current regime applies: each vertical is licensed separately, and the games an operator can offer are the ones the regulator lists. Our Portugal market page sets out those rules.
Two points are worth planning for. If live casino is admitted, the content mix of a Portuguese lobby changes, and operators that can switch a new vertical on through an existing game aggregator connection will move first. And if advertising through public figures and influencers is restricted, acquisition leans more on retention and on the responsible gambling tools a platform already has in place. The guide to European markets shows how other regulators have handled the same questions.
Planning for Portugal
IGP supplies the casino platform and 150+ studios through one integration, with content, limits and player-protection settings configured per market. See what the Portuguese regime requires today.
iGaming solutions for Portugal →Sources: ECO: Governo admite reforçar restrições à publicidade de jogo e apostas online (17 September 2026); ECO: À espera da nova lei do jogo online, empresas pedem casino ao vivo e melhoria nas licenças (21 August 2026); ECO: PS quer alterar lei dos jogos e apostas online (9 June 2026).