Brazil Sets Gambling Priorities for 2025 and 2026

The Secretariat of Prizes and Bets (SPA) in Brazil has outlined its next steps for the country’s gambling market, with a focus on responsible betting, updated certification processes, and stronger oversight. The updated regulatory agenda, published under Normative Ordinance No. 817, covers priorities for the 2025-26 period.

The SPA is pushing forward after opening Brazil’s regulated online gambling market on 1 January. It followed that launch with a public consultation, which closed on 27 March. Nearly 200 submissions were collected from various stakeholders, helping shape the SPA’s updated roadmap.

A key item on the agenda is a national self-exclusion platform. SPA called it the “most important” measure for reducing gambling-related harm. Draft regulations are expected by the end of Q2 2025, alongside new rules clarifying how betting operators should share advertising revenue with sports clubs and athletes.

Starting from June 2025, the SPA will release regulatory drafts every quarter and will ask for feedback from operators and stakeholders.

Another goal for 2025 is to introduce a unique seal for licensed betting platforms. This move is meant to help players spot licensed services and avoid unregulated or illegal platforms. SPA also plans to revise its advertising regulations in Q3, an area that’s already facing pressure from proposed Senate bills aimed at tightening marketing rules.

Later in the year, SPA wants to bring state-level rules more in line with federal policies. In Q4, it will work on building a national betting system that brings consistency across jurisdictions. That effort started with recent meetings at the Ministry of Finance, where state officials discussed better alignment.

In 2026, SPA will shift focus to inspections and licensing. The regulator plans to strengthen oversight in Q1 and take steps to fix problems in the licensing process, which faced early delays due to a lack of certified technical entities. At the moment, only six are recognized.

SPA will also review certification rules for both operators and suppliers by mid-2026. The final item in its schedule is a revision of the penalty framework for fixed-odds betting violations. This follows recent enforcement actions, where four operators were suspended for not submitting required documents. Pixbet has since resolved its case and regained a full licence, while the others remain on hold until certifications are complete.

Today, we also reported on a new match-fixing scandal in Brazil’s top football league, centering around Flamengo striker Bruno Henrique.