68 Gambling Licence Applications Approved by Brazilian Government
Brazil’s Ministry of Finance has approved 68 gambling licence applications. However, the requests for a gambling license were more than double.
Brazil starts the year with close to 70 licensed gambling operators. © Pixabay
Key Facts:
- The regulated gambling market in Brazil formally launched on 1 January 2025
- 68 businesses had completed the licence applications in full before the launch
- The application period for licences ended on 30 September 2024
- 150 licence requests were submitted between 30 September and 31st December
Brazil Bets, Brazil’s regulated online gambling and sports betting market, formally launched on 1 January 2025. The Ministry of Finance has revealed that 68 gambling licence applications from various companies have been authorised.
The application period for Brazil Bets licences came to an end on 30 September. Since then, 150 licence requests have been made to SIGAP by 145 different companies. SIGAP is Brazil’s new betting management system.
The Steps to Obtaining a Licence
All 68 companies with their applications authorised have completed the full licensing process. This includes paying a concession fee of R$30 million (roughly €4.7 million) in order to secure the licence after completing all other steps.
Brazil Bets expects to earn over R$2.1 billion (€320 million) from this fee. In addition, the government will earn money from additional fees and other revenue streams further down the line.
The Secretariat for Prizes and Betting (SPA) oversees the process of applying for and obtaining a licence. For a company to qualify for one, it has to complete a rigorous four-part review process.
This is to ensure that the company ticks all the right boxes and is doing everything it can to promote safe, secure, and responsible gambling practices. Companies also need to use reliable software and technology.
A total of 71 companies were deemed ‘qualified’ by the SPA and were given a period of 30 days to pay the concession fee. As it stands, only three of these haven’t paid the fee.
Final Steps
The SPA has a final requirement in place for all licensed businesses: they have to register their auditing and payment systems with Brazil’s Financial Activities Control System (Siscoaf). They need to do this within 10 days of receiving their licence.
This is to comply with various important measures and protocols related to counter-terrorism financing, the prevention of weapons proliferation and anti-terrorism. All licensed companies must always comply with their licensing agreements from day one.
Licensed Companies
The 68 companies qualifying for a licence will operate 300 gambling brands in Brazil. Many of these are Brazilian companies that are new to gambling and are hoping to become a success.
Others are international companies that have already experienced success in multiple countries and want to make the most of Brazil’s new regulated gambling market. With 300 brands, there are plenty of options for gamblers to choose from.
Some of the international companies that will be operating in Brazil include Caesar’s, Betsson, Stake.com, bet365 and Betfair, among others.
The Future of Gambling in Brazil
The first gambling application in Brazil was made many months ago, and now the country’s gambling market is live. The country’s regulated gambling market has just launched, but its future already looks promising.
Brazil is home to home to 212 million people, so there’s the potential for its regulated gambling market to become very substantial indeed. It could become one of the biggest and most lucrative in the world if things run smoothly.
