Key points:
- Regis Dudena, Secretary of Prizes and Bets at the Ministry of Finance (SPA), confirms Brazil has begun to authorise its first 71 applicants
- This is ahead of the anticipated launch of the Brazilian market on 1 January 2025
- Over 5,200 illegal sites have been taken down
The Secretary of Prizes and Bets at the Ministry of Finance (SPA), Regis Dudena, has informed authorities that it has began the process of authorising applicants ahead of the official launch of the market on 1 January 2025.
During a meeting with the Parliamentary Inquiry Commission (CPI), Dudena confirmed in a statement: “71 companies have already been notified by the Ministry of Finance, and they have 30 days from the notification to meet these final requirements. Of these, 16 have already paid the license fee. Today, we have 16 companies that have paid a total of R$480m (US$81.1m) in licensing fees to the Ministry of Finance.”
The companies will not be classed as officially authorised to operate until they pay the necessary fees.
Dudena continued to explain that SPA is using a strict four-stage review to ensure that the security protocols, payment processing, anti-money laundering (AML) measures, game regulations, and responsible gambling practices are all above board before any licences are awarded.
As part of securing the market before it launches, SPA has signed an agreement with the National Telecommunications Agency (Anatel) to block sites offering illegal gambling in the country. Since this was launched on 11 October, more than 5,200 sites have been taken down.
Dudena continued: "Anatel has already been a very relevant partner, since we intensified the fight against illegality. Now, with the ACT, this relationship will take place in an even more fluid and efficient way, which is a gain for the country in the challenge of remedying the betting sector from the presence of opportunistic and malicious groups."
Good to know: While the list of 71 authorised companies is yet to be made public, the full list of companies who have applied are available on the Brazillian Ministry of Finance website and includes Kaizen Gaming, Betfair and Meridian Gaming
Carlos Baigorri, Anatel President, said: “The agreement will allow an agile flow for the processing of blocks. We know that it is a challenging task to prevent Brazilians from accessing illegal betting sites and, precisely for this reason, cooperation is essential for blocks to be carried out in the shortest possible time by telecommunications service operators.
"We have a duty, as a State body, to combat illicit practices, which cause competitive imbalances and disrespect our legislation.”
TaDa Gaming has confirmed that it has received its certification from the Gaming Associates (GA) lab ahead of its potential Brazilian launch, which would build on its recent expansion into Italy through its partnership with Pixelo.
