Brazil SPA Secretaria de Prêmios e Apostas
It is the betting and online gaming regulator under Brazil's Ministry of Finance. The regulated market opened on January 1, 2025, with more than 80 brands licensed in the first year, and Brazil has emerged as one of the world's largest online slot markets.
| English | Secretaria de Prêmios e Apostas |
|---|---|
| Classification | Licenses & Regulation |
| Organization | Secretariat of Prizes and Bets (SPA) |
| 소속 | Brazil's Ministry of Finance |
| Location | Brasília, Brazil |
| Governing law | Law 14.790/2023 |
| 규제 시장 개시 | January 1, 2025 |
| License cost | 30 million reais (5 years, up to 3 brands) |
| 허가 브랜드 | 80+ (14 operators at launch) |
| Taxes | 12% of revenue → 13% (2026) → 14% (2027) → 15% (2028) |
| Domain | ".bet.br" required |
| Payments | Only instant Brazilian payments such as PIX; credit cards, cash and crypto banned |
| 불법 시장 비중 | Estimated 41-51% of online |
| 차단 사이트 | 18,000+ |
Overview
SPA (Secretaria de Prêmios e Apostas, Secretariat of Prizes and Bets) is the betting and online gaming regulator under Brazil’s Ministry of Finance. It was created in 2024 and is based in the capital, Brasília.
Brazil allowed fixed-odds sports betting by law in 2018 but had no detailed rules, so overseas sites operated unregulated for years. Law 14.790/2023 was passed in 2023, and after several delays a regulated market opened on January 1, 2025, where only licensed companies can operate. It launched with 14 operators, and more than 80 brands received federal authorization during the first year.
History
Key regulations
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| License cost | 30 million reais, 5-year term, up to 3 brands |
| Domain | All sites must use a “.bet.br” domain |
| Permitted products | Sports betting, online games (slots, live casino, etc.) |
| ID verification | Identity verification required, including facial recognition |
| Payments | Only instant payments through Brazilian banks, such as PIX, are allowed; credit cards, cash, and crypto are banned |
| Advertising | Advertising restricted during live sports broadcasts |
| Game certification | Certification from an approved testing lab required |
Taxes
The tax on operator revenue (player losses) started at 12%. In June 2025 the government proposed raising it to 18%, but after industry pushback it was settled as a phased increase to 13% in 2026, 14% in 2027, and 15% in 2028. A separate 15% tax on player deposits (CIDE-Bets) has also been discussed, and the industry worries that players could move to illegal sites.
Market structure
In the first year, Betano, Superbet, and bet365 took about 47% of the market. Experts expect further consolidation, with about ten operators leading the market.
Impact on the slot industry
Brazil has a population of over 200 million and extremely high popularity of online slots. Providers like Pragmatic Play and PG Soft are especially strong. PG Soft’s Fortune Tiger, known as the “Tiger Game,” became so popular that it turned into a social controversy. Providers are putting effort into Brazilian certification and releasing Portuguese-localized games.
The illegal market problem
Even after the regulated market opened, unlicensed sites are estimated to account for 41% to 51% of the entire online market. Telecom companies have blocked more than 18,000 illegal sites, but gaps remain in cutting off payment channels. Industry experts consider a channelization rate (share of the legal market) below 60% a failure, so the balance between raising taxes and tightening enforcement is the biggest challenge for the Brazilian market.
Relationship with other countries
The experience of Colombia, which opened Latin America’s first online market, informed Brazil’s system design, and operators from Portugal, which shares the Portuguese language, also moved aggressively into Brazil. Many of the overseas sites that previously accepted Brazilian players held Curaçao licenses.
Location
The SPA is part of the Ministry of Finance in Brasília, Brazil's capital.