SPA publishes new regulatory agenda, responsible gambling prioritised
Shortly after Brazil launched its legal online gambling market on 1 January, the SPA announced it would hold a public consultation on the current regulatory framework and potential improvements to be made.
That consultation closed on 27 March with around 200 contributions received and the SPA has now published its updated regulatory agenda in the form of Normative Ordinance No 817.
Article 2 of the ordinance revealed the focal points of the new agenda, which include the promotion of responsible gambling and addiction prevention, as well as the fostering of a balanced, transparent regulatory environment.
At the end of each quarter, as of 30 June, the SPA will release drafts of new regulations and encourage cross-industry participation in the process.
What has the SPA included in its regulatory agenda?
Item one on the SPA’s 2025-26 regulatory agenda is the development and implementation of a national platform for players to self-exclude from gambling activities, to boost the sector’s promotion of responsible gambling and the prevention of addiction. The SPA described this as the “most important” item on the agenda.
The SPA said it expected to publish minutes relating to that initiative in Q2, as well as improvements to the rights model for allocating resources from betting companies to sporting entities, such as athletes and clubs, in relation to sponsorships and advertising deals.
Additionally, the SPA hopes to clarify the parameters for creating a distinctive seal for licensed betting operators to use, so bettors can identify licensed products from unlicensed.
In line with its plans to promote responsible gambling, the regulator will improve its guidelines for supporting vulnerable bettors and their families with the aim of mitigating the consequences of problem gambling.
The third quarter of 2025 will see the SPA modernise its advertising regulations, which have come under fire of late, with multiple bills to further restrict advertising currently going through assessment in the senate.
Within its agenda, the SPA also said it plans to review regulations on Exclusive Instant Lottery. It will additionally look at consolidating the betting ecosystem in Brazil by regulating the economic exchanges between operators and providers, which it believes could combat the pressing issue of the black market.
To round off the first year of the regulated market, in Q4 2025 the SPA will establish a national betting system to bring state laws more in line with federal regulations. To support this, the SPA last month invited state politicians to a meeting at the ministry of finance’s headquarters to discuss ways of better aligning state regulations.
Looking ahead to 2026
The SPA is looking to further enhance its regulatory framework once the first year anniversary of legal gambling in Brazil passes. It said it expects to consolidate and improve its inspection procedures in Q1 2026 to ensure operators are supervised sufficiently.
The licensing process has faced some issues so far in Brazil and the SPA is looking to resolve those problems by reviewing and improving the authorisation procedure, utilising the lessons learned from the first cycle of licence authorisations.
A partial reason for delays in the initial licensing process was delayed certifications, especially as only six technical certification entities are currently recognised by the SPA.
The SPA will review procedures for certifying operators and suppliers in Q2 2026 with the aim of rectifying its previous delays.
Finally, the SPA will review its regime for sanctioning fixed-odds betting operators that violate its regulations in Q4 next year.
Just last week, the regulator suspended the licences of four operators that failed to deliver the necessary documentation.
Pixbet has since been reinstated and received a full licence from the regulator, although the other three companies will remain suspended until the certifications are completed.