The Brazilian regulator is in the final stages of preparing a conclusive list detailing the specific individuals who are excluded from participating in the Bets market, as reported by SBC Noticias – Brasil.

Drafted by the the Ministry of Finance‘s Secretariat of Prizes and Bets (SPA), the list includes public officials, minors, individuals with a professional involvement in the regulated betting market, as well as various professionals involved in sports – be it athletes, referees, officials, club delegates and coaches.

The rules around sports have been written into the ‘Bets’ regulatory regime since its inception on 1 January this year, but the high profile investigations into prominent Brazilian players like Lucas Paquetá and Bruno Henrique prompted the SPA to remind operators of their sports integrity duties.

Bolsa Familia remains a no go area

Upholding Bets’ integrity and social responsibility has led to the government’s decision to exclude a huge range of people receiving public benefits from betting and gambling, specifically those on the Bolsa Famillia and Continuous Cash Benefit (BPC) schemes.

Bolsa Familia and BPC support families below the poverty line and elderly people (65 years old and over) respectively. The former is claimed by around 54 million people while the latter is claimed by over 5.8 million.

The ban on people receiving these benefits from betting in the regulated market was introduced in April, via direct orders of President Lula da Silva. Based on the number of people who claim these benefits, it can be estimated that around 30% of Brazil’s population are excluded from betting.

The decision to ban many benefit recipients from betting is a unique player protection initiative, especially for such a young market like Brazil. In contrast, more well established markets like the Netherlands, Australia and the UK have no similar initiative.

This is despite regular conversations around the relationship between betting and indebtedness in these countries – although the latter three have admittedly introduced bans on credit card payments for gambling.

Expect tougher consequences

The Brazilian government has reminded companies that they must refuse registrations, deposits, and wagers from anyone included on the list. Firms have also been told to block and refund the accounts held by anyone already on the list.

Although the benefits of the recipient element of the list is significant, the government’s main priority is likely ensuring that minors are unable to gamble. The Ministry of Justice has previously highlighted statistics showing that teenagers are the most vulnerable to gambling harm, estimating that around 55% of bettors aged between 14-17 are at risk.

Nearly nine months into the Bets regime, the government and legislature is still finding a need to adjust certain elements of its regulatory framework. Just a couple of weeks ago, for example, a Senator proposed increasing the age limit for betting from 18 to 21.

Another problem is the lingering presence of the black and grey markets, which have existed long before the Bets regime launched on 1 January. This was noted by stakeholders speaking at the SBC Summit Rio shortly after the market launch.

“We need to fight illegal houses, something that really has an impact on our market,” Rafael Borges, CEO, UX Group and Reals. “Once they are working illegally they hinder the way Brazilian people see our market.”

As the regulated market rollout continued throughout 2025, the connection between illicit markets and social media has become a particular area of concern. The role influencers play in promoting illegal gambling has often been cited.

Social media must uphold Bets protections

Last week, the Brazilian Attorney General’s Office (AGU) requested that Instagram and Facebook owner Meta remove adverts for illegal gaming platforms, citing laws requiring online betting to be operated “with prior authorisation issued by the Ministry of Finance.”

The AGU’s statement continued: “Therefore, companies that have not obtained authorization from the Ministry of Finance are operating illegally, which also makes advertising their services and applications illegal.”

“As a general rule, authorised websites must have the ending ‘.bet.br,’ for example.”

Meta has been asked to remove the illegal adverts within 48 hours and to ensure that similar adverts are not posted again. According to the AGU, Meta has pledged to update its terms and use, but needs to make additions to its verification process.

To give it credit, the social media giant has become more diligent regarding gambling advertising across the various countries it is active in – with Facebook active in nearly every country in the world, there are a lot of local gambling advertising requirements to navigate.