Brazil orders 2,000 unauthorised gambling sites to be blocked

Over 2,000 unauthorised gambling websites in Brazil will begin to be blocked from today (11 October).

The Ministry of Finance’s Prizes and Betting Secretariat (SPA) warned that sites not on its list of authorised sites will face blocking action.

It follows the government accelerating its enforcement schedule to only allow operators that have applied for a licence to continue operations ahead of the regulated market launch on 1 January 2025.

SPA secretary Regis Dudena (pictured) said: “It is very important for bettors to understand that, for the sake of their mental and financial health, it is better to be in a regulated environment, where companies operate that are actually willing to comply with the rules.

“Collaborating with illegal companies means contributing to companies that, ultimately, will defraud the bettors themselves. That is why it is very important to understand the separation between these two groups.” 

As of today, only 96 authorised companies operating 210 brands will be permitted to continue taking bets nationwide.

To identify the now illegal offerings, the SPA has been monitoring websites and social networks for signs of unauthorised gambling.

The investigation found 2,040 suspicious domains which were then forwarded to the National Telecommunications Agency (Anatel) for blocking.

The Ministry of Finance said by December it will have concluded the process of processing the first licence applications, to verify which companies are following Brazilian law.

Businesses that pass this test will need to pay a R$30m (€6.54m) fee to begin operating from 1 January 2025, as well as maintain compliance with existing regulations.

Companies must apply to continue operating in Brazil

Companies that are not yet on the list but wish to continue operations must submit the necessary documents with the ministry.

Once this has been completed, the government has 150 days to respond to the application followed by a 30-day period for the business to pay the relevant fees.

Finance Minister Fernando Haddad warned that unlike in the first round of applications, companies will only be able to begin operations after the licence has been approved.

The executive secretary or the Ministry of Finance Dario Durigan added: “Only regular companies will remain standing. Users themselves need to be aware of this.

“We are working to publicise which sites respect Brazilian rules, will comply with the law and will protect users to some extent, and which do not.

“In addition to taking money from sites that are not regular, bettors should place their bets responsibly and for their own pleasure, on regular sites.”

Durigan outlined even after the unauthorised sites have been blocked, it will still be their responsibility to allow users to withdraw funds.

The ministry will continue to monitor blocked websites to ensure they remain inaccessible for Brazilian customers.

The government also will prohibit unauthorised companies from advertising, including by sponsoring football clubs.

Operators in ‘probationary period’ until 2025

Even those businesses on the list and so authorised to operate until December will be monitored by the ministry as they are in a “probationary period” ahead of receiving licences.

Companies caught violating Brazilian law run the risk of having their application terminated, warned the executive secretary.

Anatel contacted 20,000 telecommunications companies to proceed with the takedown of gambling sites that are illegal from today.

According to the Anatel president, Carlos Baigorri, the time taken to execute the block will depend on technical details and so will differ each time.

He said: “Each company will take its technical measures and we will monitor to ensure that this block is carried out effectively and as quickly as possible.”

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