The Ministry of Finance is advancing the construction of a new platform aimed at providing gambling companies with a list of all individuals legally prohibited from participating in online gambling. Currently, the platform is being developed by the gambling regulatory body—Prize and Betting Secretariat (SPA) and has entered the final stage. The list will cover welfare recipients, professional athletes, and individuals diagnosed with gambling addiction.
According to the National Newspaper, the government plans to require all licensed operators to block users on the list, prohibiting them from registering, depositing, and betting. If the relevant individuals are already registered on the platform, their betting permissions must be immediately frozen, and the account balance refunded.
The complete list of those banned from gambling includes:
Bolsa Família welfare recipients;
Continuous Welfare Benefit (BPC) beneficiaries;
Minors under 18 years of age;
Public officials related to the gambling industry;
Professional athletes, referees, managers, inspectors, and coaches;
Individuals diagnosed with a history of gambling addiction;
Users who have chosen to self-exclude;
Individuals prohibited from gambling by court order.
In fact, the Supreme Federal Court of Brazil (STF) had already ruled last year that welfare recipients should not participate in gambling, but implementation has been challenging. Industry insiders point out that compared to the minors' ban (which requires a photo ID for registration and daily new user data is automatically transmitted to the Ministry of Finance), the implementation of the gambling ban for welfare recipients is more difficult, mainly due to the lack of a unified information sharing platform.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Finance is also preparing to launch the National Gambling System (SINAPO), serving as the central hub for all licensed operators. Since the legalization of online gambling in January this year, SPA has been pushing for the construction of this system, aiming to unify federal and state regulations and ensure operators' compliance. In the future, licensed operators will be listed on the SPA official website for user verification. Licensed parties will also gain multiple conveniences, including optimized banking processes, legal advertising promotions, and inclusion in app stores.
Another recent focus of the Brazilian gambling industry is Betano successfully defeating six competitors to secure a record sponsorship contract with Flamengo Football Club, replacing the former Pixbet. The contract is valued at about 200 million Brazilian Reais per year (approximately 31.4 million pounds).
Additionally, Senator Humberto Costa is also advancing a new bill (PL 3,754/2025), proposing to prohibit individuals under 21 from betting and tightening regulations on gambling advertising and sponsorships of sports, cultural, and educational activities.
