SPA Unveils New Regulatory Agenda with Focus on RG
Brazil’s Secretariat of Prizes and Bets (SPA) has unveiled its 2025–26 regulatory agenda, placing strong emphasis on responsible gambling.
The SPA published Normative Ordinance No 817 this week, with Article 2 stating the key aims include promoting responsible gambling and preventing addiction.
The “most important” item on the agenda will see the SPA develop and implement a national self-exclusion platform in Q2 2025, while the rest of the year’s plans include improving the guidelines for supporting vulnerable players and their families.
Looking ahead to 2026, the SPA will aim to enhance its procedures for inspection, licensing, certifications and sanctioning.
Two Argentina Players Under Investigation for Illegal Betting
Courts in Italy are reportedly investigating numerous soccer players for illegal betting, including a pair of Argentina national team members.
Ángel Di María and Leandro Paredes, both of whom played in Argentina’s World Cup final victory over France in 2022, have been linked to the case, per Italian news outlet Corriere della Sera.
Di María and Paredes are accused of playing illegal online poker, with the report stating the matter could be settled in court by paying a fine of just €250 ($284.02).
The players could also face sporting sanctions, however, though both Di María and Paredes have subsequently denied any involvement in illegal betting.
Pixbet Receives Full License After Brief Suspension
Pixbet has been granted full authorization for the Brazil online betting market despite being suspended from operating briefly last week.
On April 11, Pixbet was named as one of four operators that had been suspended due to certain documentation not being received by the SPA.
However, later that day a Federal Court decision reinstated Pixbet’s authorization, with Judge Anderson Santos da Silva deciding the company could “resume their economic activity.”
The SPA then published Normative Ordinance No 806 this week to fully license Pixbet to offer sports betting and iGaming in Brazil.
Colombian Regulator Opens Bidding to Operate SUPER Astro
Coljuegos, the regulator of gambling in Colombia, has opened bidding to operate its draw-based SUPER Astro game.
The bid has been set at COP5.6 billion ($1.3 million). It will allow a local or foreign operator that satisfies the “technical, legal and financial requirements” to oversee the operation of SUPER Astro for the next five years.
The game, currently operated by Corredor Empresarial, accounts for around 14 percent of Colombia’s total national betting market, with Coljuegos President Marco Emilio Hincapié expecting the decision on the winning proposal to be delivered on May 14.
“At Coljuegos, we strive to ensure the proper execution of the concession contract, as well as the protection of resources allocated to the health sector, transparency in gaming operations, and safety for gamblers,” Hincapié said.
Brazil Casino Bill Set for Vote Amid Evangelical Party Resistance
Senator Irajá Abreu says the bill to legalize land-based casinos in Brazil is ready for a vote, despite opposition from evangelical groups.
PL 2,234/2022 was approved by the Justice and Citizenship Committee in June 2024, but the subsequent Senate vote was postponed on numerous occasions.
However, Irajá is confident the bill will be voted upon soon, believing it has the necessary support to be approved, telling Poder360: “Based on the debates we had in the Senate with public hearings, the matter is ready, ripe to be discussed and voted on in the plenary.”
The bill will face some opposition though. Deputy Gilberto Nascimento, president of the Evangelical Parliamentary Front, said his party will not support land-based legalization, explaining to Poder360: “I will ask everyone to be against it.”
