Brazil’s Ministry of Justice imposes last-minute order on 17 betting companies

The nation’s justice & security department has notified a number of companies that they have 10 days to provide additional information.

The Brazilian Ministry of Justice and Public Security has ordered 17 betting organizations to provide additional details pertaining to advertising, bonuses and age-related restriction practices, amidst growing fears around the impact of gambling on vulnerable users.  

Companies have been given 10 days to respond to the request, as Brazil edges ever closer to its much anticipated – albeit recently highly deliberated – regulated online gaming and sports betting market.  

Organizations targeted by the order include; bet365, Betano, KTO, 1xBet, Parimatch, Sportingbet, Betnacional, Superbet, Rival, EstrelaBet, IO, Bet South, Betfair, PixBetc, Pix365, Lucky Sports and Go Bet. 

This latest news comes soon after the Brazilian Government began the removal of unlicensed online gaming websites on October 1 – blocking over 2,000 websites within the initial two-week period. In recent months, Brazil’s President Lula has been under increasing pressure following a shift in public opinion around gambling in the nation, after a recent study demonstrated that an increasing number of recipients of his flagship Bolsa Familia social welfare program were losing money to gambling. 

Good to know: The Brazilian Senate also launched a parliamentary inquiry to investigate the online gambling industry last month 

A proposal that would prohibit the use of social benefits as a payment method for gambling was put forward at the end of September. This was then closely followed by an announcement made by President Lula which threatened to reverse sports betting legislation if addiction issues didn’t improve.  

Brazil’s road to regulation has been mired by general uncertainty and, despite miraculously managing to get all its ordinances released before the July deadline, the country now finds itself in something of a state of turmoil with the perception of gambling at an all-time low.  

It would appear that the Government is now attempting to obtain additional information from some of its key operators as part of a re-evaluation of regulations relating to sustainable practices and responsible advertising. Nevertheless, as things stand, the market is set to open on January 1, however, additional changes between now and then seem likely.  

Will Underwood

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