Proceedings against gambling influencers in Brazil

The Ministry of Finance's Prizes and Gambling Secretariat (SPA) said on Monday that it has carried out 73 enforcement actions against digital influencers related to sports betting since the regulated market began on 1 January 2025. 

In February 2025 alone, there were 22 influencer-related inspections. In a review of the SPA's regulatory agenda, there were 75 enforcement actions overall through January.

On 1 August 2024, the Ministry of Finance published an ordinance in the Federal Gazette making gambling operators liable for any abusive or misleading advertising on social media by digital influencers hired by gambling companies.

The ordinance (full text - PDF - 131 kB) also prohibits unlicensed companies from advertising or sponsoring sports, as well as defining rules to prevent and treat gambling disorders and care for the mental and financial health of gamblers. 

The national licence - issued by the Treasury - costs 30 million reais and has a maximum duration of five years.
The secretariat also claims that there have been 11,555 orders to block illegal gambling sites.

Licensing

Secretary for Prizes and Gambling at the Ministry of Finance, Regis Dudena, said on Monday  that he had received 23 new applications for authorisation of betting companies to operate by 2025. According to the secretariat, there are 68 authorised companies and 70 paid subsidies.

Two of these companies have been granted two authorisations each. According to Dudena, there are 14 licences obtained on a permanent basis and 56 on a temporary basis. “We are moving forward with the provisional licences”,  he said in an interview with reporters.

So far, the government has obtained usd 370m in licence payments. According to the secretary, a new batch of definitive authorisations should be published in the Official Journal of the Union this Monday (10.Feb). In total, 153 brands are authorised to operate in the regulated gambling market.

By Houldine Nascimento