Brazil's Ministry of Finance has suspended Pixbet Soluções Tecnológicas' federal betting authorization, ordering the operator to halt activity through Pixbet, Ganhei.bet and Bet da Sorte while it addresses regulatory compliance failures.
The Prizes and Betting Secretariat imposed the precautionary measure after finding deficiencies in player monitoring mechanisms and failures to provide mandatory information needed for regulatory oversight.
The operator must cancel active bets, immediately return stakes and keep account access available for customers withdrawing existing balances. Non-compliance carries a daily fine of BR$200,000 ($38,594).
Pixbet can challenge the measure within 10 business days. The federal suspension does not cover operations conducted under separate state licenses in Rio de Janeiro and Paraná, according to reports on the administrative decision.
The action was issued on the same day as Operation Arena, but the SPA said the sanctioning processes were already underway before the law-enforcement operation and were administratively separate from it.
Federal Police, the Federal Revenue Service and the Federal Public Prosecutor's Office launched Operation Arena to investigate suspected tax evasion, currency offenses and money laundering linked to sports betting.
Authorities executed 17 search and seizure warrants across Paraíba, São Paulo, Sergipe, Rio de Janeiro and Paraná, while a federal court authorized the seizure of up to BR$1.1bn in assets and funds.
The Federal Revenue Service said investigators are examining a structure involving domestic and overseas businesses, payment institutions, foreign exchange transactions and digital assets.
Authorities suspect funds were transferred through entities without economic activity sufficient to justify the amounts involved before being reintegrated into the betting business.
Pixbet received its definitive federal authorization in April 2025 after previously operating provisionally. The authorization originally covered Pixbet, Flabet and Bet da Sorte, with Flabet later replaced by Ganhei.bet.
The operator had already faced regulatory pressure in July. A Paraíba court ordered its platforms suspended over age-verification controls, requiring stronger safeguards against underage access.
An appellate judge subsequently refused to stay that injunction while Pixbet's challenge proceeded.
Earlier on August 13, Federal Police searched the São Paulo home of lawyer Nelson Wilians as part of Operation Arena, which is examining Pixbet and offshore structures suspected of being used to conceal betting-related funds.
Brazil's regulated fixed-odds betting framework requires federally authorized operators to provide data to the SPA through its monitoring systems, allowing the regulator to supervise betting activity and compliance
