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Brazil: SPA closes consultation on revised betting authorization rules

The proposed framework would replace the rules used for Brazil's first licensing cycle, with changes including stricter documentation requirements and a longer authorization review period.

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Key Points
SPA has completed a 45-day consultation on revised authorization rules for fixed-odds betting operators 
Draft changes include greater scrutiny of capital sources and a potential increase in the authorization review period to 300 days
Brazil had 85 federally authorized betting companies as of September 2026

Brazil's Secretariat of Prizes and Bets (SPA) has closed its public consultation on changes to the authorization process for fixed-odds betting operators, as the regulator reviews rules introduced before the country's regulated market launched in 2025.

The consultation ran for 45 days and will inform a new ordinance governing operator authorization. SPA will now assess submissions before progressing the text through the procedures required for publication.

The review is intended to replace or revise the framework established by Portaria SPA/MF No. 827/2024, which currently governs authorization. SPA's regulatory agenda calls for changes covering admissibility, approval, rejection, suspension, administrative appeals and the termination of licenses.

Proposals circulated during the consultation include requiring prior registration of betting brands with Brazil's National Institute of Industrial Property before an administrative authorization process begins. 

The draft would also increase SPA's maximum review period to 300 days.

Industry discussions have additionally focused on greater scrutiny of documentation relating to anti-money laundering controls, the economic backing of applicants and the origin of operator capital.

The changes follow SPA's experience processing the first authorization cycle. In August, the Ministry of Finance published more than 2,000 pages of documentation relating to the authorization of 85 betting companies.

Under the existing system, operators must receive SPA authorization before offering fixed-odds betting nationally. Each authorization permits up to three brands, while federally authorized websites must use the ".bet.br" domain. 

The current framework also requires an authorization fee of BR$30m (US$5.6m), with each authorization valid for five years.

The review comes alongside wider changes to Brazil's regulatory framework. In July, the Ministry of Finance introduced additional advertising requirements, including mandatory gambling-risk warnings, while SPA's 2026-27 agenda also covers payment restrictions involving unauthorized operators and further changes to enforcement procedures.

Brazil's authorization rules are also being reviewed amid political debate over the future of the sector. Four presidential candidates have proposed banning betting platforms, despite the regulated industry generating an estimated BR$12.2bn in tax revenue during 2025. 

Good to know

Fixed-odds sports betting was legalized in Brazil in 2018, while legislation passed in 2023 extended the regulated framework to online gaming

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