Brazil Cracks Down on Individuals Gambling with Social Benefits

Summary

Brazil’s Secretariat of Prizes and Betting (SPA) has introduced Ordinance SPA/MF No. 2,217/2025 and Normative Instruction SPA/MF No. 22/2025 to bar recipients of Bolsa Família (PBF) and the Continuous Cash Benefit Programme (BPC) from participating in fixed-odds betting. Operators must cross-check player registrations against a new government database via the Betting Management System (Sigap) using CPF tax numbers. If a match is found, accounts must be blocked, closed and deposits returned. The Ministry of Finance has given operators 30 days to implement the checks. Beneficiaries will not lose welfare payments; sanctions fall on operators who fail to comply.

Key Points

New SPA measures prohibit PBF and BPC beneficiaries from fixed-odds betting.
Operators must verify customers against the government Sigap database using CPF numbers and block/close matched accounts.
Deposited funds for matched accounts must be returned to the individual; beneficiaries will not be suspended or have benefits cut.
Operators have a 30-day compliance deadline and face penalties for violations — responsibility rests with companies, not welfare recipients.
The move is part of broader enforcement: Anatel has blocked over 15,000 unlicensed sites; SPA conducted 66 site visits to 93 licensed operators with 35 sanctions recently.
Financial controls intensified: nearly 300 suspicious activity reports from 24 banks led to 255 account closures; 13 payment providers triggered additional corporate account closures.
Lawmakers are also considering raising the minimum gambling age from 18 to 21 and restricting gambling ads between 06:00 and 22:00 to strengthen consumer protections.

Context and Relevance

This is a material regulatory step in Brazil’s attempt to make a fast-expanding gambling market safer and more accountable. By placing verification duties on operators and coupling them with financial and advertising oversight, regulators aim to curb unauthorised betting, reduce money-laundering risks and protect vulnerable citizens who rely on social programmes. The measures signal increased regulatory maturity — important for operators, payment providers, compliance teams and policy watchers across Latin America and global businesses with exposure to Brazil.

Why should I read this?

Quick and blunt: if you work in gambling operations, payments, compliance or policy, this directly affects you. Operators must act fast (30 days) or face penalties. If you represent a payments firm or financial institution, expect more enforcement and reporting. And if you’re tracking global gambling regulation, this is a clear example of Brazil moving from talk to enforcement.