The first regulated sports betting and online casinos in Brazil could be live by July, an official confirmed at a panel at ICE London, according to CDC Gaming Reports. The first licenses are expected to be issued in March.
The timetable was confirmed following the signing of a new regulatory framework by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. The Chamber of Deputies approved the framework in December.
José Francisco Manssur, special advisor to the Brazilian Ministry of Finance, told the ICE audience, “We are working to open the first window in March and comply with what the legislature imposed, which is having companies authorized to launch in July.”
He added, “The list of authorized operators will be confirmed in one announcement and no one will be forced to start collecting taxes before the first window. The second window will run from October to December and from that point, we will publish authorized operators on a standalone basis. We will open a third window after that point.” The activity will be taxed at 12 percent of gross gaming revenue.
Brazilian lawmakers have attempted to regulate sports betting since 2018, but Lula’s predecessor, president Jair Bolsonaro, didn’t sign off on it. In 2023 legislators added a section on iGaming to the bill.
International operators such as Bet365, Betfair and Betsson, which currently operate in Brazil, won’t be able to continue in the regulated market because international operators are not permitted a license.
Last October, the ministry gave companies 30 days to express an interest in obtaining a license. One hundred and thirty four responded. Licenses are granted for up to five years and cost R$30 million (US$6 million) for up to three brands.
Manssur warned, “I want to be clear that companies that did not participate in that process will not be able to launch in the first window.”
