Brazil’s SPA Prioritizes Responsible Gambling in 2025-2026 Regulatory Agenda
Brazil’s Secretariat of Prizes and Betting (SPA) has released its regulatory agenda for 2025-2026, placing a strong emphasis on promoting responsible gambling throughout the period.
Following the launch of Brazil’s legal online betting market on January 1st, the SPA announced a public consultation to gather feedback on the current regulatory framework and potential improvements.
This consultation concluded on March 27th, receiving approximately 200 contributions. The SPA has now published its updated regulatory agenda as Normative Ordinance No. 817.
Article 2 of the ordinance highlights the key aspects of the new agenda, including promoting responsible gambling and preventing addiction, as well as fostering a balanced and transparent regulatory environment.
Starting June 30th, the SPA will release drafts of new regulations at the end of each quarter and encourage cross-sector participation in the process.
SPA’s Regulatory Agenda Highlights
The top priority on the SPA’s 2025-2026 regulatory agenda is the development and implementation of a national platform for players to self-exclude from gambling activities, aiming to boost responsible betting practices and prevent addiction. The SPA considers this the “most important” item on the agenda.
The SPA anticipates publishing information related to this initiative in the second quarter, along with improvements to the rights model for allocating resources from betting companies to sports entities, such as athletes and clubs, for sponsorships and advertising deals.
Furthermore, the SPA intends to clarify the parameters for creating a distinctive seal for licensed betting operators, enabling bettors to differentiate between licensed and unlicensed products.
As part of its responsible gambling initiatives, the regulator will enhance its guidance to support vulnerable bettors and their families in mitigating the consequences of gambling-related problems.
In the third quarter of 2025, the SPA will modernize advertising regulations, which have faced recent criticism, with several bills proposing stricter advertising restrictions currently under consideration in the senate.
The SPA also plans to review regulations concerning Exclusive Instant Lottery. Additionally, it will seek to consolidate the betting ecosystem in Brazil by regulating economic exchanges between operators and providers, which it believes could combat the pressing issue of the black market.
To conclude the first year of the regulated market, in the fourth quarter of 2025, the SPA will establish a national betting system to align state laws with federal regulations. To support this initiative, the SPA invited state deputies to a meeting at the Ministry of Finance headquarters last month to discuss ways to better align state regulations.
Looking Ahead to 2026
The SPA aims to further improve its regulatory structure after the first anniversary of betting legalization in Brazil. The Secretariat states that it expects to consolidate and improve its oversight procedures in the first quarter of 2026 to ensure operators receive proper supervision.
The Brazilian licensing process has encountered some challenges, and the SPA is addressing these by reviewing and improving the authorization procedure, drawing on experience from the first licensing cycle.
Delays in the initial licensing process were partly due to certification delays, particularly as only six technical certification entities are currently recognized by the SPA.
The SPA will re-examine the procedures for operators and certification providers in the second quarter of 2026 to rectify previous delays.
Finally, the SPA will review the sanctions regime for fixed-odds betting operators who violate regulations in the fourth quarter of next year.
Last week, the regulator suspended the licenses of four operators who failed to submit the required documentation.
Since then, Pixbet has been reinstated and granted a full license by the regulatory body, while the other three companies remain suspended pending completion of certifications.
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