Brazil🇧🇷: SPA reports preliminary results and announces new measures to regulate the betting sector

Brazil🇧🇷: SPA reports preliminary results and announces new measures to regulate the betting sector

The head of the Secretariat of Prizes and Betting of the Ministry of Finance (SPA-MF), Danièle Cardoso, outlined during a television interview the authority’s main measures to combat illegal gambling and strengthen consumer protection.

📌 2025 results: In 2025, the regulated gambling sector contributed approximately USD 7 billion to the government. Nearly USD 800 million of this amount was allocated to social programs, including healthcare, tourism and sports.

📌 Fight against illegal operators

🗣 Since enforcement measures were introduced, the SPA has blocked more than 56,000 illegal websites. The authority has also suspended licensed platforms for regulatory violations.

🗣 “Financial asphyxiation”: banks and payment service providers are prohibited from processing transactions linked to illegal betting operators. The SPA monitors compliance with these requirements and can require financial institutions to terminate their relationships with illegal operators, while the Ministry of Finance blocks bank accounts when there are indications of irregularities.

🗣 Liability for advertising: influencers and legal entities involved in promoting illegal platforms may also be held liable for such activities.

📌 Advertising

🗣 Advertising by licensed operators is subject to strict restrictions. Advertisements may not feature children or teenagers, portray betting as an alternative source of regular income, or present it as a means of improving social status.

🗣 Advertising must also display the “18+” symbol and standard warnings about the risks of gambling addiction and financial losses.

📌 Requirements for regulated gambling

🗣 Licensed platforms may operate only under the .bet.br domain and must use biometric verification and age-verification mechanisms.

🗣 To date, 85 companies have received authorization from the SPA. Each operator pays a concession fee of approximately USD 6 million for a five-year period and may operate up to three brands.

📌 Gambling addiction prevention

🗣 The number of active players is estimated at approximately 30 million, with men aged 30 to 40 accounting for the majority. Around 3-4% are considered at risk of developing gambling addiction.

🗣 In 2024, a self-exclusion platform was launched, with more than 1 million people registered to date.

🗣 The Ministry of Health has also established a telemedicine service to provide assistance to people experiencing gambling-related problems and is training healthcare professionals to identify and support affected players.

🗣 A dashboard is also being developed for the Gov.br platform, allowing players to access information about their registrations with licensed operators and the total amount they have wagered.

📌Context: according to official data, in the first half of 2026 the share of illegal gambling fell by 3-7% year over year. It currently accounts for 38-44% of total online betting. During the same period, tax revenue from gambling amounted to USD 1.4 billion.

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