As of Friday (11), the government of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) begins the takedown of irregular betting sites. According to the Minister of Treasury, Fernando Haddad, more than 2,000 platforms will be blocked in the coming days.
The government released an initial list of domains to be blocked, but some are affiliated websites and even companies in the media sector. Some companies (such as Dafabet) even announced on their pages the closure of operations in Brazil.
Lula government begins action against bookmakers outside the positive list
The Prizes and Betting Secretary, Regis Dudena, warned bettors who had until last Thursday (10) to withdraw their money. Now, they will need to turn to consumer protection agencies or the police.
In other words, there is no contingency plan to recover values on sites that become inactive. According to Dudena, it is the companies’ responsibility to return the funds deposited. The secretary emphasized: “It has two fronts. Consumer protection and police.”
Haddad had already informed that many betting sites operate outside Brazilian territory. “The person goes online and could be placing a bet in a tax haven.” – he stated. He added that, in this scenario, the government is unable to act to recover money on foreign websites.
Anatel blocking and monitoring
Carlos Baigorri, president of Anatel, announced that he will notify all 21,000 telecommunications companies about the changes. But while some sites may remain online temporarily, the blocking must take effect quickly.
“Large companies like Vivo, Claro and Tim will be able to act more quickly, but smaller companies may take time”, explained Baigorri.
The Prizes and Betting Secretariat of the Ministry of Treasury will be responsible for monitoring new irregular websites, in partnership with the Ministry of Justice.
Dudena highlighted that the expectation is to bring economic activity to legality and declared: “That’s what we seek: to ensure that it is only viable to offer those that are regular in Brazil.”
Advertising and rules for regular bookmakers
Dudena also mentioned that regulated betting houses will be able to advertise in Brazil, while irregular websites will be prevented from doing so. The executive secretary of the Ministry of Treasury, Dario Durigan, highlighted the difficulty that illegal companies will have in staying in operation.
“Eventual new sites that begin to gain repercussions will certainly reach consumer protection agencies,” said Durigan.
Betting companies on the “positive list” will be able to operate until December this year. But, from January 1, 2025, only duly authorized companies will be able to operate. Furthermore, bookmakers will need to pay a grant of R$30 million to operate legally in the country.
Transparency and oversight
Dudena highlighted that the positive list will serve as a probationary period. Then, companies will be monitored to avoid violations of Brazilian legislation, such as the Consumer Protection Code.
The secretary stated that the Ministry of Treasury has access to detailed information about the partners and final beneficiaries of each authorized platform. This ensures stricter control over the sector.
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