VIE 26 DE ABRIL DE 2024 - 06:50hs.
Lance! newspaper article

Are online sports bettings legal or illegal in Brazil?

Many people, due to lack of information, are in doubt if making sports bets online in Brazil is legal or not. In December 2018, the Federal Government authorized the Ministry of Finance to create rules for the exploitation of fixed-odds sports betting in Brazil. In this article, sports newspaper Lance! returns to the history of this doubt to calm down fans who want to bet on their teams.

The fact is that the government was troubled by the arrival of online bookmakers in the Brazilian market. Gambling is prohibited in Brazil since 1946, following the text of Decree-Law No. 9.215. The only exceptions are those games controlled by the government itself, which are offered by state and federal lotteries.

However, online bookmakers do not fall into this category because their servers are based in countries where gambling is legalized, such as Malta, Gibraltar, Isle of Man and many others. As such, they do not have to follow national laws, but only those of the country where they are based.

Starting in 2008, the government tried to create a series of laws prohibiting the transfer of money to these online bookmakers based abroad, but without success. In 2011, a ban on the use of credit and debit card for transfers to bookmakers' bank accounts became effective. Even so, it was never clear whether the use of this transfer option was permitted or not.

In the former president Dilma Rousseff government, it was observed that the country stopped collecting millions of reais in taxes with the prohibition of gaming activities, since the bookies maintained their servers based in countries where gaming is legalized. A great deal of pressure was then put on the games to be legalized, prompting a number of bills to be put into effect and begun to be processed in the Senate.

Finally, in December 2018 the Federal Government enacted Law 13,756 / 2018, which authorizes the Ministry of Finance to create rules for the licensing of fixed-odds sports betting in Brazil. This authorization has the term of two years, which may be extended by another two, where laws and regulations must be created.

The fact is that sports betting has always been and continues to be made by Brazilians through international betting sites, and this number grows everyday. It is no wonder that the government is moving towards legalization, so that these international betting sites become based in Brazil and that the government, consequently, will receive the taxes related to this practice.

International bookmakers know the potential of the Brazilian market, where people are passionate about sports, especially football. The investment has always been great in the country, offering Brazilian bettors a quality service, such as a translated Portuguese site, different deposit options and user assistance ways.

And with the creation of this new legislation, the trend is that these investments will only increase. It can already be seen bookmakers sponsoring tournaments and football clubs in Brazil, as well as advertising their brands on television or in football stadiums.

Betting sites offer Brazilian bettors different welcome bonuses, as well as football betting promotions and several other sports markets. Those interested to add a little excitement to watching a match and still profit from their heart team wins, it's worth looking for information and choosing a bookmaker that fits them.

Source: GMB / Lance!