Brazil

Online sports betting in Brazil - Coming soon!

In the 1920s and 1930s, Brazil's casino industry flourished, with Rio's opulent casinos drawing global visitors. Yet, due to opposition from numerous religious and conservative Brazilians, gambling was banned abruptly in 1946 by a presidential decree. Exceptions existed: horse race betting persisted under state control, poker was deemed a skill game, so it remained legal, and bingo, due to a loophole, was legal until its prohibition in 2004.

The lottery, introduced in 1969, is managed by Caixa and linked to the Ministry of Finance. However, until 2018, Brazil’s gambling laws didn't address online sports betting or gambling in any way. In 2018, legislation labeled Law No. 13,756/2018 legalized online and in-person fixed-odds sports betting in Brazil, but at this point, the market was not yet regulated. This resulted in the aggressive expansion of globally recognized and well-known online sportsbook brands within the country.

The most critical milestone in this field happened in December 2023, when Brazil's president, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, signed the country’s new gambling bill into law. With this legislative change, all sports betting and gambling operators must apply for a license to offer their services within the Brazilian market.

A recent report by Vixio Regulatory Intelligence outlines the promising future of online gambling in Brazil. It predicts that the iGaming sector could generate $3.7 billion within three years of operation, with projections soaring to $4.9 billion by the fifth year. Therefore, it’s quite clear what all the fuss is about when it comes to betting being legalized in this part of the world.

With Brazil gearing up for regulated sports betting, joining the International Betting Integrity Association (IBIA) is a prerequisite for licensed operators to ensure integrity monitoring. This has prompted several new entrants to join the association, and some of the latest IBIA members include the KTO sportsbook, Galera.bet, and eSports betting specialist Oddin.gg, just to name a few.

Sports betting legislation in 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

• 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.

• April 4, 2024: A new match-fixing scandal in Brazilian soccer involves allegations against players from top teams for manipulating games and bribing referees. Senator Jorge Kajuru is setting up an inquiry in response to accusations by Botafogo's owner, John Textor, against São Paulo and Fortaleza athletes.

• April 2, 2024: Brazil is contemplating the introduction of a ".bet" domain for legal sports betting sites to promote player safety and direct gamblers to regulated platforms. The Ministry of Finance's proposal seeks to improve regulation in the growing industry by helping users distinguish licensed websites and curbing illegal activities, as part of efforts to develop a robust regulatory system.

• February 19, 2024: Brazil's senate will consider a new legislation proposal to ban celebrity involvement in betting ads. The proposal aims to prevent influential figures from promoting gambling activities, especially sports betting.

• February 13, 2024: Yolo Group joins the International Betting Integrity Association (IBIA) as it prepares to enter the Brazilian market.

• January 8, 2024: Corinthians secures a record-breaking sponsorship deal worth R$370 million with VaideBet, marking the largest sponsorship in Brazilian football history. The partnership entails VaideBet serving as the club's main shirt sponsor for three years, marking its debut in football sponsorship.

• December 30, 2023: Brazil's president, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, officially approves new sports betting and online gaming regulations by signing Bill 3,626/2023 into law.

• December 21, 2023: Brazil's Chamber of Deputies endorses Bill 3,626/2023 to regulate sports betting, with online gambling included after being initially excluded by the Senate. The bill now moves to the president's office for final approval by Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

• December 12, 2023: The Brazilian Senate passes amendments to Bill 3,626/2023 to regulate sports betting, but iGaming is excluded from the legislation.

All legal gambling options in Brazil - Online casinos are now also legal

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.