Zona de Azar Brazil – Brazil: Game Over for Betting Houses that Failed to Regularize
Brazil.- September 18, 2024 www.zonadeazar.com On the morning of Tuesday, the 17th, Régis Dudena, the Secretary of the Prize and Betting Secretariat, signed a normative order that will prohibit the operation of betting houses without authorization starting in October.
The order has already been published in the DOU, Official Gazette of the Union, and states that, “from October 1, 2024, only active legal entities that have submitted an authorization request to the Ministry of Finance by the date of publication of this Order will be considered in the adjustment period.”
The order also clarifies that bettors using unauthorized betting houses by the Ministry of Finance will be able to withdraw the amounts they are entitled to until October 10. Therefore, starting from October 11, 2024, websites that have not requested accreditation will be prohibited and taken offline.
The SPA will be responsible for inspection and the adoption of necessary measures, with the Ministry of Finance aiming to conclude the analysis of received requests and, from January 1, 2025, finally initiate a regulated market where only licensed companies will be able to operate.
Once the regulation phases are completed, the next step for companies that have requested authorization will be to pay the grant fee of R$30 million, as stipulated by law, to begin operations in January. In addition, with the regulation in effect, compliance with all anti-fraud, anti-money laundering, and abusive advertising rules will be mandatory.
Check out the normative order below : Please see the regulatory ordinance below
The most important topics of SPA/MF Ordinance No. 1,475, of September 16, 2024, are:
- Adaptation Deadlines: The ordinance establishes the conditions and deadlines for legal entities operating fixed-odds lottery betting to regularize before December 31, 2024
- Prohibition of Operating Without Authorization: Starting from October 1, 2024, the operation of betting houses without authorization from the Ministry of Finance is prohibited
- Deadline for Withdrawal of Deposits: Bettors in unauthorized betting houses have until October 10, 2024, to withdraw their funds.
- Removal of Unauthorized Websites: As of October 11, 2024, websites that have not applied for accreditation will be blocked and removed.
- Authorized Operators: From January 1, 2025, only authorized companies will be allowed to operate, and they must use the internet domain extension “bet.br”.
- Grant Payment: Authorized companies must pay a R$30 million grant to start operations in January 2025.
- Mandatory Compliance with Regulations: Companies must comply with regulations on fraud prevention, money laundering, and abusive advertising.
- Sanctions and Inspection: Sanctions for non-compliance with current legislation remain in force, and the Secretariat of Prizes and Betting will be responsible for inspections.
Editó: @_fonta www.zonadeazar.com
