SBC News Voice of the Sports Betting Industry
The Secretariat for Prizes and Betting (SPA) has informed relevant authorities that it has granted full authorisations to 71 businesses that applied for federal online gambling licenses.
The update came from SPA President Regis Dudena, who informed the Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry (CPI) on Bets about businesses that met all qualifying criteria ahead of the market’s launch on January 1, 2025.
Dudena stated that as of December 11, the SPA has authorised 71 applications out of 114 submitted to its agency.
Businesses authorised for licenses have been cleared to pay an upfront concession fee of R$30 million (€5 million), which must be completed within a 30-day window.
Effective from January 1, 2025, Bet licenses are valid for a five-year period, with authorisations allowing up to “three skins” per license. Authorised businesses must have a registered office in Brazil, with corporate accounts certified by the Bank of Brazil
Updating the CPI, Dudena confirmed: “Seventy-one companies have already been notified by the Ministry of Finance, and they have 30 days from the notification to meet these final requirements. Of these, 16 have already paid the license fee. Today, we have 16 companies that have paid a total of R$480 million in licensing fees to the Ministry of Finance.”
SPA assures all licences meet qualifying criteria
The SPA has pledged that all authorised businesses have completed Bets’ four-stage modality review, addressing the technical requirements of IT security protocols, licensing standards, payment processing, anti-money laundering (AML) measures, game regulations, and responsible gambling practices.
The formation of the SPA was announced in February 2024 as an agency of the Ministry of Finance “to monitor and report on gambling activities and to supervise the market conduct of licensed operators.”
A conflict between the Ministry of Finance and the ‘Centrao Block‘ of Congress led to the resignation of José Francisco Manssur as the Ministry’s appointed President of the SPA. After a period of political negotiations, parties settled on the appointment of Regis Dudena to lead the SPA.
Yesterday, Dudena announced that the SPA is nearing the concluding stages of its licensing procedure for Bets, a process that began in April with the issuance of the first technical ordinances on payments and system authorisations.
Final directives have seen Brazil’s telecom regulator, Anatel, partner with the SPA and Federal Police to shut down 5,283 illegal betting domains in three waves, with more expected to follow.
Dudena: SPA demand Compliance from Day-1
Ahead of the launch of Bets, the SPA is collaborating with relevant authorities to prevent fraud by implementing measures to stop the use of fake taxpayer IDs (CPFs) for account creation and introducing a new system by January 2025 to ensure accurate identification and support effective regulatory enforcement.
Above all, Dudena reiterated the SPA’s mandate that all licensees must demonstrate full compliance with Bets’ market rules from day one, concluding: “Starting January 1, all companies operating in Brazil will need to be Brazilian entities established under Brazilian law. We’ll know their shareholders, ultimate beneficiaries, and executives, ensuring complete oversight of both legal entities and individuals involved in this activity.”
In 2025, the Bets market will undergo further revisions as the Senate is set to decide whether to impose selective taxes (sin taxes) on individual gambling activities. The decision is tied to a proposal presented by Senator Eduardo Braga (MDB-AM), the Rapporteur for the Federal Tax Reform Project, who indicated that “gambling activities can be considered as new criteria for selective taxes.”
