DigiPlus Interactive Corp., headquartered in the Philippines, has obtained a federal gambling license in Brazil, allowing it to operate physical and online sports betting, electronic games, live game studios, and other fixed-odds gambling activities.
The announcement was made on Thursday through a filing to the Philippine Stock Exchange.
On November 21, 2024, DigiPlus Brazil Interactive Ltda. successfully passed the license qualification review stage by the Brazilian Ministry of Finance's Gambling and Betting Secretariat (SPA). The company has 30 days to meet the regulatory requirements after the qualification review, including the payment of the license fee.
The SPA released the final list of authorized operators, allowing DigiPlus to offer online sports betting and iGaming services in Brazil starting from January 1, 2025.
On the same day, the company's board approved an initial funding of 660 million Philippine pesos (11.4 million US dollars) for license fees, minimum capital, financial reserves, and other operational expenses related to the post-qualification process. This funding is intended to support operations for the next three months.
Including DigiPlus, the official list published in the EU Official Journal (DOU) detailed 81 issued licenses, of which 15 are permanent licenses and 66 are temporary licenses.
These companies have met significant financial and regulatory requirements, including a mandatory payment of 30 million Brazilian reais (4.7 million US dollars) to the federal government and the establishment of a 5 million Brazilian reais (789,862 US dollars) emergency fund.
Companies that obtained permanent licenses include SuperBet, MGM, and SportyBet. In contrast, companies such as bet365, Betsson, Betano, Caesars, and SportingBet received temporary licenses.
This licensing procedure is part of a broader effort by the Brazilian government to regulate the rapidly growing online gambling market. Companies permitted to operate in Brazil must meet strict requirements set by the Ministry of Prizes and Gambling, approved by Congress, involving taxes, advertising ethics, and player protection, among other issues.
A key provision is the imposition of a 12.5% tax on total monthly revenue, which licensed operators must remit to the government.
