Brazil Enlists Banks, Telecoms and Tech Platforms to Block Fixed-Odds Betting After October Deadline

Brazil’s government is creating a broad enforcement regime against illegal betting that will place new responsibilities on banks, payment institutions, telecommunications companies, app stores and internet platforms after the country’s licensed market closes.

Provisional Measure No. 1,394 prohibits fixed-odds betting throughout Brazil, including services offered from abroad to people located in the country. Licensed websites and applications must become inaccessible from 6 October, after which any continued offering of fixed-odds betting to people in Brazil will be prohibited.

Enforcement Duties Assigned to Intermediaries

The Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Justice and Public Security will be able to request the blocking or redirection of illegal betting websites. Anatel will receive and distribute blocking orders to telecommunications providers and other internet-access intermediaries. The Brazilian Internet Steering Committee, CGI.br, will be responsible for measures involving names registered under the “.br” domain.

App stores and operating-system providers must prevent prohibited betting applications from being made available and remove them when directed by the authorities. Internet platforms must also take steps to prevent prohibited betting advertising from circulating and remove infringing third-party content after notification.

Financial institutions will form another central part of the enforcement system. Except for transactions required to wind down licensed operations and return customer funds, banks, payment institutions and payment-system participants will be prohibited from processing or facilitating fixed-odds betting transactions. The Central Bank must establish a data-sharing system allowing financial institutions to identify and reject transactions associated with illegal betting and return funds to their source.

Finance Minister Dario Durigan said the regulated market comprises 85 authorised operators and around 180 betting brands. Durigan said the government had already blocked more than 60,000 betting pages since 2024. The measure also creates the Interinstitutional Committee for the Supervision of Illegal Fixed-Odds Betting Operations and Advertising.

Sanctions Framework and Proposed Criminal Penalties

Operators that breach their transition obligations will remain subject to sanctions under Law 14,790, including fines of up to R$2bn per violation. Failure to provide the funds and information required for customer repayments may also result in a daily fine of R$200,000.

Separate sanctions apply to internet platforms, app stores and operating-system providers. These include warnings and fines of up to 10% of Brazilian turnover, capped at R$50m for each violation. Repeated breaches may result in the suspension or prohibition of activities in Brazil.

The government has also submitted a separate bill creating criminal offences connected with fixed-odds betting. Operating or exploiting fixed-odds betting, including from outside Brazil, would carry a proposed prison term of four to six years. Advertising betting, recruiting bettors, using personal information to recruit customers, facilitating betting-related transactions and providing internet applications for betting would carry proposed sentences of two to four years, in addition to fines. As reported by G3 Newswire, the enforcement structure puts financial institutions, telecommunications companies and technology platforms at the centre of efforts to prevent prohibited betting from continuing through offshore platforms.

Reporting: G3 Newswire

Generated by SCCG’s automated editorial system from published source reporting. SCCG Management holds editorial responsibility.