Brazil Blocks More Than 66,000 Illegal Betting Domains and Issues R$18 Million in Fines

The Secretariat of Prizes and Betting (SPA) has stepped up its efforts to combat illegal online betting sites and shut down 66,482 domains from January 15th, 2025, to September 2nd, 2026. These numbers from Brazil’s Access to Information Law give a general idea of the regulator’s activity against unauthorized operators.

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The enforcement campaign also led to the deletion of 1,511 profiles from January 2025 to August 2026. In 2025, the authorities took offline 565 profiles, increasing the efforts to combat illegal betting activity.

Administrative Proceedings Continue to Advance

Administrative sanctioning proceedings (PAS) are also covered in the SPA’s data. The Sanctioning Action Subsecretariat has processed or archived 103 proceedings since January 2025, of which 68 have been resolved, 56 at the administrative level and 12 pending appeal. There are also another 31 going through the process of being judged, and two which have gone to court, and two who are in talks for possible settlement arrangements.

According to the SPA, the proceedings for the sanctions are launched during the inspections and only referred for judgment once the investigative procedure is finished. This may include notifying, requesting further information and/or documents, and submitting a preliminary defense.

With respect to this procedure, it should be noted that, as soon as the administrative sanctioning proceeding is launched, it is not immediately sent for judgment, but must undergo a series of investigative steps in the inspection process: notification, receipt of further information or supporting documents, receipt of a preliminary defense. Only after all these steps are completed is the proceeding forwarded to the Sanctioning Action Subsecretariat for decision.

Fines Total More Than R$18 Million

In the cases already decided, the SPA has applied 42 warnings, taking into consideration factors such as the low level of conduct, whether the party is a first-time offender, the low or no benefit gained, and the limited harm caused.

The regulator also gave out 20 fines and one fine with suspension of activities. These penalties amounted to R$18.019 million in total. Sanctions were not imposed during the inspection stage as five proceedings were closed for the offending action having been rectified.

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Responsible Gambling and Advertising Violations

The data also specifies proceedings in which a particular regulatory area is involved. There are 12 instances of breaches of responsible gambling codes in the 103 PAS. Five have already been determined, and so far, 3 warnings and 2 fines are worth R$5.739 million.

There are five proceedings involving violations of the betting advertising law. Three of them have been determined, and one is under analysis while another has been brought to court. In this group, the judicialized case received four fines for a total of R$5.544 million.

The total number of infractions by type may be higher than the total number of proceedings, as one PAS may investigate multiple infractions.

Collections and Inspection Revenue

Total value of the fines issued is R$18.019 million, and R$3.091 million has already been collected. Additional R$1.421 million has been added to the federal government debt, along with R$600,000, which is now under suspended enforceability after a judicial ruling.

There was also substantial revenue collected from the betting inspection fee. As of 2025, collections were R$105.04 million, and as of July 2026, were R$65.22 million. Brazilian law has these funds sent to a unit of the Ministry of Finance that monitors commercial betting.

The figures reflect the magnitude of Brazil’s crackdowns as it attempts to differentiate between the regulated and the unregulated betting market and increase compliance of activities that support responsible gambling and other regulations.

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Source: iGaming Brasil