The exponential growth of online sports betting platforms — popularly known as bets — has brought to the forefront a series of legal debates involving consumer law, economic regulation, data protection, and civil liability. The topic gained even more prominence with the creation of the Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry (CPI) on Bets, established by the Federal Senate to investigate evidence of irregularities in this sector.

What is a CPI?

A Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry (CPI) is an investigative instrument provided for in the Federal Constitution, used by the National Congress to investigate relevant facts of public interest. During its work, parliamentarians may summon witnesses, request documents, and conduct investigations in order to clarify potentially illegal or controversial conduct.

Although it lacks the power to impose judicial penalties, a Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry (CPI) can recommend indictments, propose legislative improvements, and forward its final report to the Public Prosecutor's Office or other competent bodies.

Specifically regarding the Betting CPI (Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry), senators are investigating the activities of online betting companies, the use of digital influencers to promote platforms, possible abusive practices against consumers, and gaps in current regulations.

Why should legal professionals delve deeper into this topic?

The relationship between consumers and online betting platforms constitutes a new field of study and practice for legal professionals, with issues ranging from digital contracts to advertising practices targeting vulnerable audiences.

The following are at stake:

• Defining ethical and legal boundaries for digital marketing in this sector;
• Applying the principles of the Consumer Protection Code to platforms;
• Civil and administrative liability of companies in the segment
• The economic regulation of a highly digitalized and transnational market.

These issues require legal professionals to have an interdisciplinary, critical, and up-to-date education, capable of engaging with technological transformations and the challenges of legal protection in the digital environment.

Continuing education for a new profile of legal professional

Legal professionals who wish to play a leading role in addressing contemporary challenges need to go beyond daily practice. It is necessary to understand phenomena in their entirety, based on scientific principles and with the capacity for critical intervention.

In this sense, topics such as betting and digital consumption not only engage with the daily lives of lawyers, regulators, and members of the justice system, but also fuel relevant research avenues.

Participate in the mini-course "Consumer Law and Bets: strategic aspects of consumer protection".

With the aim of fostering legal debate and presenting applied perspectives on the topic, IDP will hold the mini-course "Consumer Law and Bets" on June 17, 2025, at 19 pm, with live streaming on YouTube.

The event is aimed at professionals and students who wish to:

• Understanding the main regulatory challenges facing betting;
• To discuss the role of consumer law in the digital age;
• To reflect on the social and legal impacts of this expanding market;
• To prepare for future research in the Professional Master's Degree in Law.
  

Sign up here and deepen your understanding of one of the most intriguing topics in current legal affairs — with academic and practical potential to boost your career.