Brazil

In-person and online sports betting have been fully legal in Brazil since the 2018 legislation update. After the country started regulating its gambling market, the landscape is much more transparent regarding what you can wager on and where to place sports bets. In a nutshell, there aren't really any betting markets that are prohibited, and after the most recent gambling law change, most forms of fixed-odds betting, including horse race wagering, are available for Brazilian sports fans aged 18 or over.

Fantasy sports are also legal in Brazil but remain unregulated despite the latest law update, meaning Fantasy sports providers do not require licenses to operate in the Brazilian market.

However, all gambling operators wanting to offer Brazilians real-money betting services must obtain a license from the country's finance ministry. Each license runs for five years, costs the operator BRL 30 million ($6.1M), and includes operational permits for up to three brands. In addition, according to the latest gambling bill, all licensed operators would be subjected to a 12% tax rate, while player winnings would be taxed at 15%.

Sports betting & gambling news and updates from Brazil

• July 1, 2024: Brazil’s Senate President Rodrigo Pacheco announced that the vote on the brick-and-mortar casino regulation bill will wait until August, citing no need to rush. The legislation, which also covers horse racing, bingo, and instant win games, will be addressed after the Parliament returns from its July recess. Despite the bill's passage through various Senate committees, the Evangelical Caucus opposes it, arguing it lacks safeguards against gambling addiction and crime in high-risk municipalities.

• June 13, 2024: Online betting company VaideBet terminates its land-breaking sponsorship agreement with Corinthians due to a corruption-related investigation involving the Brazilian football club. The three-year front-shirt sponsorship deal in question, penned in January, was worth BRL370m ($75.9m) for the club.

• May 23, 2024: Brazil's Ministry of Finance's Secretariat of Prizes and Betting publishes licensing requirements for gambling operators wishing to enter its market. This new regulatory framework includes, for example, a payment worth BRL 30 million ($5.82 million) for a five-year license. In addition, only limited liability companies or corporations incorporated under Brazilian law can apply for a sports betting license.

• May 22, 2024: Novibet joins the International Betting Integrity Association (IBIA) to apply for a license to offer fixed-odds betting in Brazil.

• May 10, 2024: Gambling giant Betfair sings a new sponsorship agreement with Rio de Janeiro-based soccer club CR Vasco da Gama. According to the club announcement, the sponsorship agreement is the biggest in the club's history.

• April 5, 2024: PNR Tecnologia and Lema are pursuing accreditation from Rio's Loterj to offer sports betting and online gaming, despite criticism from the IBJR over jurisdiction issues. This tension underscores a broader dispute regarding the regulation and territorial rights of gambling operations in Brazil, with legal experts questioning Loterj's nationwide authority.

After a back-and-forth battle, iGaming was also added to Brazil's latest gambling bill, which President Lula approved. This move means that online casinos fit in the same regulatory framework as sports betting operators, and therefore, such activities are now fully legal in the country as well.

Despite the new legislation, land-based casino gaming is still prohibited, so such establishments cannot be found within the country. However, the story is different regarding poker, as in-person and online poker are legal in Brazil since poker is considered a game of skill rather than a game of chance.

Social casinos are also legal in Brazil but are currently unregulated. Regarding lotteries, only the ones under the state monopoly are legal.