Brazil’s Secretary of Prizes and Betting stands down

Summary

Régis Dudena, who led Brazil’s Secretariat of Prizes and Betting (SPA) at the Ministry of Finance, has left his role to become head of the Secretariat of Economic Reforms. Deputy secretary Daniele Correa Cardoso will act as interim head.

Dudena used a recent event to present a review of the first full year of Brazil’s formal betting market. He highlighted the creation of a regulatory foundation in 2025 that allowed authorities to monitor operators, verify directors and partners, and process more than 300 authorisation requests. The government has moved from setting rules to active enforcement, prioritising consumer protection and tackling financial crime through co‑operation with the Federal Police, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Health and other agencies.

Regulators are focused on channelisation — moving players from illegal sites to authorised platforms — with a target channeling rate of 60–70%. The SPA is tightening enforcement by using technology to identify irregular financial flows and by making banks and payment processors liable if they continue to support unauthorised operators after formal notice.

Tax changes are under way: the Senate Economic Affairs Committee approved a path to raise the tax on GGR from 12% to 13% in 2026, moving to 15% by 2028, with proposals elsewhere to increase it further. Social protections are expanding: operators must use the Sigap system to block welfare recipients (eg. Bolsa Família) from gambling, and biometric ID checks including facial recognition are being mandated to reduce fraud and prevent underage play.

Key Points

Régis Dudena leaves SPA to head the Secretariat of Economic Reforms; Daniele Correa Cardoso is interim head.
2025 was the first full year of Brazil’s regulated betting market; >300 authorisation requests were processed.
Regulators moved from rule‑setting to active enforcement, prioritising consumer protection and financial crime prevention.
Channelisation target is 60–70% to shift players from illegal sites to authorised platforms.
Authorities use technology and co‑operation with law enforcement and agencies to detect irregular financial flows and combat illegal operators.
GGR tax scheduled to rise from 12% to 13% in 2026 and to 15% by 2028; higher increases remain under discussion.
Banks and payment processors face legal liability if they facilitate transactions for unauthorised sites after notice.
Operators must use Sigap to block welfare recipients and implement biometric verification (including facial recognition) to prevent fraud and underage gambling.

Why should I read this?

Short version: there’s been a senior reshuffle and the rules of the game in Brazil’s betting market are getting stricter. If you’re operating in Brazil — or thinking about entering — this story tells you what regulators have done, what they’re about to do on taxes, compliance and payments, and how enforcement will actually be applied. We’ve skimmed the detail so you don’t have to.

Author style

Punchy: this is important for operators, payment providers and compliance teams — tax rises, tighter enforcement and mandatory tech checks will change risk calculations and operating costs.