Online Gambling in Brazil
Background
Brazil has historically maintained strict regulations against most forms of gambling. But this stance has shifted significantly in recent years with recognition of the potential economic benefits of a regulated gambling market, estimated by IBIA to be worth more than €31 billion by 2028.
Data released by iGaming analytics provider Blask in late 2024 claimed 22% of Brazilians engaged in online sports betting. This puts Brazil’s participation rate above the UK (19%) and in the top 5 countries worldwide even though their regulated online betting market is still reasonably young.
In December 2018, Law No. 13,756 was enacted, legalising both land-based and online sports betting and marking a significant step towards a more liberalised approach to gambling. The law was silent on casino games leaving this as a grey area for operators.
This changed with passing of Law No. 14,790/23 at the beginning of 2024. This law provided the foundations for the regulation of a broad range of online casino games and established the Secretaria de Prêmios e Apostas (SPA), a department within Brazil’s Ministry of Finance as the authority responsible for regulation and licensing.
International operators were invited to apply for licenses during 2024, with a market launch date set for January 2025. At closure of the first round license application window on 20 August 2024, 113 operators had applied.
In the lead up to the market’s January launch the SPA granted permission to grey market operators who had applied for a license to continue servicing Brazilian online casino players. Meanwhile, in consultation with the country’s telecoms agency Anatel, efforts were made to block other online gambling domains.
On 1 January 2025, 14 operators were granted full authorisation to begin licensed operations. A further 52 were granted provisional authorisation.
Current Regulations
Brazil’s regulated iGaming market is governed by Law No. 14,790 and regulated by SPA. During 2024 regulations were still in their formative stages with SPA regularly publishing ordinances detailing rules and requirements.
- Licensing:
SPA Ordinance No. 827 sets the rules for operator licensing. Local and international operators can apply to participate in the market, with licenses awarded by SPA for a 5 year term. Betting products must be offered from a ‘.br’ domain. - Permitted games:
The definition for online gaming in Law 14,790 is extremely broad. Any online game with a known theoretical return (RTP) can be considered lawful. Ordinance No. 1,207, published by SPA July 29, 2024 provided more detail on permitted games, and consistent with the broad parameters set in the governing law a wide range of casino games will be allowed. Classic games like blackjack and roulette as well as other RNG games like slots, dice games and ball draw games are all permitted. Live dealer games are expressly allowed as well. - Game certification:
All games and (for live games) live game studios must be certified by one of the SPA appointed certifying authorities. Gaming Laboratories International LLC (GLI) was the first testing lab to be appointed in March 2024. By August 2024 three certifying entities had been appointed:
– GLI
– eCOGRA Limited
– BMM Spain Testlabs SLU - Advertising and player protections:
Ordinance No. 1,231, published by SPA August 2024 sets out advertising and problem gambling guidelines. It imposes a blanket ban on unlicensed operators advertising in Brazil. It also imposes restrictions on licensed operators aimed at protecting vulnerable members of the community. Similar problem gambling measures to those adopted by regulators worldwide have been introduced, like players’ ability to set bet limits and self exclude. - Credit Card ban:
Account funding using credit cards and crypto-currencies has also been banned. This is a measure being increasingly adopted by regulatory agencies around the world, including in Australia and the UK.
Best live casino for Brazilian players
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