Sports betting sites that have not registered will be taken down in the coming days

10/02/2024

The Ministry of Finance released on Tuesday a list of online betting companies authorized to operate in Brazil. Nationwide, 89 companies, owning 192 platforms, have applied for approval from the ministry to operate in the country and are thus in compliance. The government also disclosed the names of six companies registered regionally, with states, each one responsible for a single website. Of these, five are from Paraná and one from Maranhão.

These companies will be authorized to operate in Brazil until December 31. At the end of this transition period, the Ministry of Finance will release the final list of companies and websites that will be authorized to operate from January 1, 2025, when Brazil’s regulated betting market will commence.

The ministry said that websites not included in the list can no longer accept bets. These sites will remain online for the next ten days “solely to facilitate bettors’ requests for the return of funds deposited in their names with these companies,” according to an official statement.

The announcement also said that, from October 11, these sites will begin to be taken down with the assistance of telecoms regulator ANATEL. “Even after this date, it will remain the responsibility of the website operators to ensure that bettors can withdraw any deposits they are entitled to,” the statement said.

The list was published after a day of meetings at the ministry’s headquarters in Brasília. In the morning, Minister Fernando Haddad met with representatives from the advertising sector to align guidelines for betting site advertisements.

According to Mr. Haddad, it’s important to be mindful of the negative effects that can be caused by sports betting and to address the issue from a social perspective. “No one makes money from gambling. People lose money. It’s a game of chance,” the minister said on Tuesday.

After the meeting at the Ministry of Finance, the president of the National Council for Advertising Self-Regulation (CONAR), Sérgio Pompilio, said that, in cooperation with the government and the advertising market, they will guide betting platforms towards “more controlled and healthier practices” for consumers.

Mr. Pompilio also said that Conar has been holding meetings with betting associations for almost a year. “Conar’s self-regulation principles are already part of the addendum [to the ministry’s decree] addressing advertising and are already in effect,” he said.

He added that the regulation of the sector—a process that began last year with the introduction of a bill on the subject—is “fundamental.”

Sports betting platforms began to be legalized in 2018, but the regulation process has been delayed. Last year, Congress passed a bill to regulate the sector. Throughout this year, the Ministry of Finance issued decrees detailing these rules. The process is expected to be completed next year.

Last week, a study by the Central Bank revealed that Brazilians spend between R$18 billion and R$21 billion per month on sports betting. The discovery of the market’s size has reinforced discussions on enhancing regulation, which also focuses on combating the use of platforms for illegal activities, such as money laundering.

The National Association of Games and Lotteries also advocated for regulation and announced measures to combat gambling addiction on illegal betting websites. “Legalization is the way forward, there’s no turning back. It’s the illegal sector that’s causing this mess and generating insecurity in the market,” said Plinio Lemos Jorge, president of the association.

In partnership with the institutes Somente and Belezinha, the association has started offering medical treatment for people addicted to gambling, a disorder known as ludopathy. The pilot project is expected to assist 21,000 people.

On another front, part of the regulation process is facing legal challenges. The Rio de Janeiro State Lottery (LOTERJ) obtained an injunction from a federal court to ensure that its licensed betting websites continue to operate and are free to advertise throughout the country, without the risk of being blocked.

In practice, companies licensed by LOTERJ will continue to operate nationwide—there will be no restriction if a player from Rio de Janeiro, for example, is traveling and places a bet in another state. LOTERJ-licensed companies will also not be blocked even if they are not authorized by the Ministry of Finance’s Secretariat of Prizes and Betting. The federal government is seeking to overturn the ruling in court.

See the list of authorized sites

Fonte: Ministry of Finance