Brazil's Secretariat of Prizes and Betting (SPA) under the Ministry of Finance has extended by 30 days its previous deadline for betting operators to implement systems that block registration of social welfare beneficiaries on their platforms.
The measure, published in the Official Union Diary, gives companies until early December to comply with the new requirements.
The extension was formalized through a Normative Instruction and signed by SPA Secretary Régis Anderson Dudena, amending a previous ordinance issued in September.
The rule stems from a broader effort by the government to align social protection policies with responsible gambling practices. Once active, the system will automatically cross-check player data with the federal databases of Bolsa Família and the Benefício de Prestação Continuada (BPC).
Operators will be required to perform these verifications at registration and during each user's first daily login. If the system flags a beneficiary, operators must block the account and allow two days for withdrawal of remaining funds.
The SPA uses constitutional and court-ordered mandates, including rulings from the national Supreme Federal Court and recommendations from the Federal Audit Court as the basis for the restriction. However, the betting sector remains cautious, as industry representatives from the National Association of Games and Lotteries (ANJL) argue that the ban may have unintended effects.
According to ANJL, up to 30% of bettors may be social benefit recipients and nearly half of them say they would continue gambling through unlicensed platforms if blocked.
The association contends that investing in education and responsible gaming tools would be a more effective approach than enforcing blanket bans.
Good to know: Régis Dudena, SPA's Secretary, has recently affirmed that player protection is operators' responsibility
