Last updated: December 13, 2024
Brazil’s Ministry of Finance has begun finalizing the first 71 applications for online gambling licenses ahead of the market’s official launch on January 1, 2025.
The Ministry of Finance (SPA) has received notification from Regis Dudena, the Secretary of Prizes and Bets, that the procedure for applicant authorization is underway. This procedure will begin ahead of the formal launch of the official market scheduled for 1 January 2025.
Dudena declared in a statement to the CPI: “71 companies have been notified by the Ministry of Finance, and they have 30 days from the notice to comply with these final demands. Of those, 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 shall not be considered as officially authorized to operate until they remit the required fees.
Dudena further stated that SPA uses a tough four-stage review process in order to ensure that the security measures, payment processing, anti-money laundering measures, game regulations, and responsible gambling practices are carefully scrutinized before any licenses are issued.
As an effort to corner the market ahead of its launch, SPA has agreed with Anatel (National Telecommunications Agency) not to allow access to those sites within the country that offer illegal gambling services. Since it took effect on 11 October, over 5,200 sites have been blocked.
Dudena added: “Anatel has already been a strong partner, especially as we have strengthened our activities to fight against illegality. Today, with the application of ACT, this collaboration will function in an even more smooth and efficient way, which is a gain for the country to address the challenge of rehabilitating the betting sector, taking into account the presence of opportunistic and malevolent groups.”
Good to know: Although the list of 71 authorized companies is yet to be made public, the whole list of companies who applied is available at the Brazilian Ministry of Finance website and includes Kaizen Gaming, Betfair, and Meridian Gaming.
Carlos Baigorri, the head of Anatel, said: “The agreement will make it easier for the blocks to be processed more effectively. We know that it’s very difficult to prevent the Brazilians from accessing illegal sites where they bet, and that’s exactly why the collaboration is a crucial element to ensure the execution of the blocks as fast as possible by telecom operators.” “It is our responsibility, as a state agency, to counter illegal practices that create competitive inequalities and undermine our laws.”
TaDa Gaming has officially announced that it has obtained certification from the Gaming Associates (GA) laboratory in anticipation of its possible launch in Brazil, which would further enhance its recent expansion into Italy via its collaboration with Pixelo.
