SBC News Voice of the Sports Betting Industry
A new command has been placed on Brazil’s online gambling marketplace to ensure consumer rights are protected and followed by licensed operators of the Brazil Bets regime.
Ordered by the National Consumer Agency of SENACON, all Brazil Bets licences granted the Secretariat of Prizes and Betting (SPA) must register their businesses on the platform of Consumidor.gov.br.
The command has been authorised as a new legal requirement by the federal authorities of the Ministry of Justice and Public Security (MJSP) and the Ministry of Finance (MEF).
Consumidor.gov.br is a free public service platform used by SENACON to resolve consumer rights disputes. The platform further serves as a portal to facilitate information and communications between consumers and private enterprises operating in Brazil.
MJSP and MEF have ruled that consumer rights in online gambling must monitored by SENACON’s authority, an agency which provides direct oversight for disputes in e-commerce, Financial Services, Automotive Sales, Healthcare, Public Utilities and Travel.
The decision was welcomed by SENACON, secretariat Wadih Damous: “Mandatory registration on Consumidor.gov.br is a fundamental step to ensure that bettors’ rights are respected. Now, Brazilians have a direct and efficient channel to register and monitor their complaints, strengthening balance in consumer relations.”
Bets consumers will be allowed to file direct complaints against licensed operators by registering a dispute on the Consumidor.gov-br platform. Businesses must respond and review the compliant within a period of 10-days of the consumer filing the dispute.
SENACON underlines that it does not serves an intermediate of consumer disputes. The Consumidor.gov-br platform should be used to facilitate interactions on disputes between consumers and businesses – Helping consumers to track the progress of their complaints in a transparent manner.
If a business fails to adhere to the platform rules or acts in bad faith, SENACON can refer to wider authorities to impose penalties for non-compliance.
SENACON underscores its efficiency in resolving consumer disputes as over 8.9m Over 8.9 million complaints have been resolved through the platform which maintains high resolution rate of approximately 81%.
The SPA approves the command, in which it will cooperate with SENACON to monitor the conduct and reputation of Bets licences. SPA President Régis Dudena, reinforced the importance of transparency on consumer rights: “The participation of betting operators on the platform Consumidor.gov.br reflects the commitment of the Ministry of Finance to ensure that all practices are carried out in accordance with legal standards, with respect for consumer-bettors.”
In further developments the SPA has updated the list of licensed betting companies in Brazil, allowing new brands to operate legally until December 31, 2029.
Among the newly licensed brands, the 4Win brand from Lucky Gaming Ltda was added through Ordinance SPA/MF No. 713, alongside the existing brands 4Play and Pagol. Additionally, the SPA authorised the brands Esporte 365, BetAki, and Jogo de Ouro from Vanguard Entretenimento Brasil through Ordinance SPA/MF No. 693.
At present, the SPA has granted a total of 80 online betting licenses, including 71 licenses issued through the standard regulatory process and an additional nine provisional licenses, permitting a total of 175 brands authorised to operate in the Brazilian market.
Changes continue to unfold for the Bets licences, as last week Dudena announced a change in policy stance for the SPA, stating that the agency will support ban to prohibit welfare beneficiaries of Bolsa Família and the Benefício de Prestação Continuada (BPC) from wagering in online betting platforms.
On 2 April following a determination by the Supreme Federal Court (STF), Dudena announced a shift in policy. The SPA is expected to publish its plans to prohibit Bolsa Família and the BPC beneficiaries from participating in online betting. A high technical project which equate to banning circa 30% of Brazil population, that have received assistance from the social welfare schemes.
Dudena announced to media outlets: “We are preparing a measure to comply with the decision in the way we think is possible, which is to prohibit beneficiaries, specifically of Bolsa Família and BPC. But this is still in the final stages of alignment, especially legal, to see if it complies with the Supreme Court’s decision.”
