Brazil has taken a significant step in its enforcement strategy against illegal betting, granting authorities expanded powers to block financial activity linked to unlicensed operators.
President Lula has sanctioned Law No. 15,358/2025, which introduces new mechanisms under the country’s broader framework for combating organized crime.
The proposal introduces a constitutional reference to betting activities and allocates 30% of sector revenues to the National Public Security Fund. It also establishes that funds seized from illegal betting operations should be directed to the same fund.
Among its key provisions are tools that allow regulators to block bank accounts, suspend Brazilian instant-payment Pix transactions and apply administrative and criminal penalties to entities involved in unauthorized betting operations.
From the sector’s perspective, this inclusion could make future attempts to ban betting more difficult, particularly as it formally acknowledges the activity at a constitutional level.
The legislation directly amends existing betting regulations, requiring financial institutions and payment providers to act when irregular activity is identified.
How will the measures work?
These measures must follow due administrative process while ensuring that any funds owed to consumers can still be reimbursed.
Brazil’s Central Bank and the Ministry of Finance will oversee the operational implementation of these rules, including within the Pix ecosystem.
The National Association of Games and Lotteries stated that incorporating betting into the Constitution strengthens the legitimacy of the regulated market and reinforces the need to combat illegal operators.
Similarly, the Brazilian Institute for Responsible Gaming noted that constitutional recognition could solidify the position of licensed operators within Brazil’s legal framework.
According to Congressman Mendonça Filho, there is nothing for the sector to celebrate. He believes that the citation does not guarantee legal security.
"The formalization of the betting sector in Brazil occurred through an ordinary law, which recognizes the fact that the resource is earmarked,” he said.
“If an ordinary law, for example, prohibits the operation of betting in Brazil, even if you have a constitutional allocation, the allocation will be ineffective, because the revenue only exists if there is legality."
According to Brazil’s Federal Revenue, betting-related tax revenues reached BR1.03bn in February, up 47.08% year-on-year
