Brazil’s Secretariat for Prizes and Betting of the Ministry of Finance (SPA/MF) has published new regulations related to preventing welfare recipients from using funds for fixed-odds sports betting.
Ahead of the country’s regulated market opening on 1 January 2025, the Federal Supreme Court upheld a decision to prevent the use of social welfare funds for gambling, and the regulator has been working to facilitate this measure.
Following the publication of SPA/MF Ordinance No. 2,217/2025, recipients of Bolsa Familia and the Continuous Cash Benefit are among groups banned from taking part in fixed-odds sports betting, alongside individuals with gambling addiction and those barred by court decisions.
The SPA has also issued Normative Instruction No. 22/2025, which sets out procedures that betting operators must follow to ensure compliance.
According to the new rules, companies must consult the Betting Management System (Sigap) to verify whether a user is included in the database of beneficiaries during customer registration, and at the first login of each day.
If the user is included, the player’s registration must be blocked, their account closed, and any deposits returned to them.
Regis Dudena, Secretary of Prizes and Bets at the Ministry of Finance, said: “To ensure compliance with the Supreme Court’s ruling, it was necessary to develop a robust technical tool, carefully ensuring that the measure guaranteed the protection of the rights involved. Protecting citizens, their security, their rights, and their personal data are always objectives of the Brazilian Government.”
The Bolsa Familia program provides income to low-income households in Brazil, focusing on families where each member earns below 77 Brazilian Reals, or just over £10 per month. More than 20 million households and 54 million people in Brazil receive Bolsa Familia.
Additionally, 5.8 million people receive BPC, a non-contributory pension scheme available to persons over the age of 64 and those unable to work due to disability. Claimants must have a family income that is less than 25% of the minimum wage to be eligible.
The Ministry of Finance stressed that recipients do not risk having their benefits suspended if they are found to be accessing betting sites, and it is the responsibility of operators to stop this from happening.
The rules came into effect on 1 October, and operating agents have up to 30 days to implement the mandatory procedures.
