The year 2025 has arrived and the regulation of betting has really been consolidated, and everything is gradually being put on track. At least hundreds of irregular sites have already left the scene. Meanwhile, a slice of around 80 to 100 companies remain alive.
These are included in the list of regulated bookmakers published and updated frequently by the Ministry of Treasury. Everything happened very quickly, so it is important to reflect now: what has changed for users and bookmakers? Where is the market heading now?
Legalized bookmakers in Brazil: what does the user see when they enter?
Before the regulation, it is worth noting that legalized betting houses in Brazil only needed an offshore license. Therefore, the service standards were not well defined in Brazil, which is why it was possible to see everything. Various bonus formats, bets, requirements, some terrible service and others of excellent standard.
Now, after the regulation of betting, when a user enters one of the regulated betting houses, he or she has a similar but, at the same time, very different experience. Everything is standardized, starting with the website links: to identify a legal website, simply check if it has the domain “bet.br”.
Furthermore, as in-depth analyses available on online portals demonstrate, other parts of the platforms’ services have also become quite similar. For example, in the bookmaker reviews on the recently launched Vai Apostar website, which focuses on evaluating regulated bookmakers in Brazil and offering sports betting tips, what we see are some repetitions and very curious characteristics:
Customer service has changed
Customer support for these platforms is available on multiple channels. In addition to the chat feature, which was already available before legalization, most of them now have a telephone line and an ombudsman section. This marks a change in approach, undoubtedly due to the government’s new requirements.
Payment methods have been limited
With the ban on cryptocurrencies, credit cards and bank slips, only debit, prepaid wallets/cards and Pix are accepted. Therefore, some companies have chosen to accept only Pix.
The amount of online sports betting bonuses has decreased
The ban on welcome bonuses is one of the biggest flaws in betting regulations. As such, many users are still confused and looking for bookmakers with free registration bonuses, when in fact they are no longer accepted.
But fortunately, alternatives such as cashback, super odds, loyalty programs and other ways that reward only after the bet is made are still allowed.
The right thing to do is tighten: the balance between responsible gaming and more taxes
Finally, the noose has tightened. While users are going through much stricter registration processes, being forced to enter their addresses, CPF and even take photos to verify their identity, the brave regulated bookmakers are adapting their accounts to the new scenario.
First, the license fee to start operations is R$30 million. Then, a series of taxes are a good recipe for many platforms to give up. Even some big players have left the scene, marking a much more controlled era in Brazil.
But, doesn’t the positive aspect of this completely outweigh the burden? After all, all of this is happening in favor of the principle of responsible gaming, in addition to government revenues that will exceed 3 billion in 2025. In other words:
- Advertising has been severely limited, and platforms are also required to commit to social actions and to use responsible gaming as a guide. Before the regulation of betting, everything was freer, to the point where misleading advertisements circulated freely.
- The prevention of money laundering and other associated illegal practices has taken a leap forward. Now, influencers are monitored even in terms of the type of advertising they do on social media.
- Controlling the security and honesty of the services offered, including payments in games, for example, is simplified.
It is still too early to say how the market will adapt
How will the new bonuses be implemented? Will the number of bookmakers with apps be reduced proportionally compared to what was seen before, or will this adaptation be done smoothly? From the companies’ side, will the business continue to be sustainable? It’s hard to say no.
However, what can already be said from the users’ side is that despite the difficulties with more taxes and regulation, they are much safer. They will also have much more support from the government when faced with problems, which, unfortunately, are quite common in companies in this niche.