On April 16, 2025, Brazil’s Secretariat of Prizes and Bets (SPA) launched its regulatory agenda for the 2025-2026 biennium, placing a strong emphasis on responsible gambling and the prevention of addiction. This follows the country’s recent legal online gambling market launch on January 1, 2025, and a public consultation held from February to March that gathered around 200 contributions. The newly published agenda is outlined in Normative Ordinance No. 817, which addresses critical regulatory initiatives for the coming period.
Key Focal Points in the Regulatory Agenda
The SPA’s new agenda outlines several key priorities for the next two years. At the forefront is the creation of a national self-exclusion platform. This platform will allow players to voluntarily exclude themselves from gambling activities, aiming to prevent addiction and promote responsible gambling. The SPA has described this initiative as the “most important” item on the agenda. In addition to this, the regulatory body plans to improve the model for allocating resources from betting companies to sporting entities like athletes and clubs, specifically in relation to sponsorships and advertising deals.
A significant element of the agenda is the development of a distinctive seal for licensed betting operators. This seal will serve to distinguish legal operators from unlicensed ones, improving market transparency and ensuring that players can easily identify reputable platforms. The SPA also intends to modernize advertising regulations, addressing current concerns about overly permissive marketing practices and proposals to further restrict advertising.
Enhanced Support for Vulnerable Bettors
In alignment with its responsible gambling goals, the SPA plans to enhance its support for vulnerable bettors and their families. This includes improving services for individuals experiencing gambling addiction, ensuring better resources are available to mitigate the social and personal consequences of problem gambling.
Modernizing the Brazilian Betting Market
The regulatory agenda also includes updates to Brazil’s Instant Lottery regulations, along with efforts to consolidate the betting ecosystem by regulating the relationships between operators and providers. The SPA recognizes that this step is vital in curbing the black market, which continues to pose challenges to the country’s regulated betting sector.
Looking towards the end of 2025, the SPA will establish a national betting system that aligns state laws with federal regulations. This initiative aims to streamline operations and ensure consistent enforcement of gambling rules across Brazil.
Plans for 2026 and Beyond
As the regulatory framework matures, the SPA has laid out plans to improve its inspection and licensing processes. By Q1 2026, the SPA aims to refine its licensing procedures, addressing delays and challenges experienced during the initial phase. The agency also plans to enhance its certification system for operators and suppliers, with a focus on reducing certification delays.
Furthermore, the SPA intends to review its sanctioning regime for fixed-odds betting operators in Q4 2026, ensuring that violations are appropriately penalized. Recently, the SPA suspended the licenses of four operators who failed to provide required documentation, though Pixbet has since been reinstated following a successful certification process.
Conclusion: Building a Responsible and Transparent Gambling Market
Brazil’s iGaming industry is undergoing significant transformation, and the SPA’s 2025-26 regulatory agenda plays a crucial role in shaping its future. By prioritizing responsible gambling, market transparency, and the development of key regulatory infrastructures, the SPA is laying the foundation for a safer and more efficient gambling environment. Operators and players alike can expect a more regulated, transparent, and accountable market as the agenda unfolds.
Source:
SPA-Lança Agenda Regulatória para o Bienio 2025-2026, Governo Federal do Brasil, April 16, 2025.
