The ban on beneficiaries of social programs was ordered by Brazil’s Supreme Federal Court (STF) and implemented by the SPA through a Normative Instruction. Initially, the 'Bets' were required to block individuals receiving Bolsa Família or BPC starting October 30, but due to the short window to implement verification tools, the deadline was extended to November 30.
Beginning Monday (1), the 'Bets' must consult the Gambling Management System (Sigap) to verify, using the user’s CPF, whether they are listed in the government’s social-beneficiary database. If identified as “prohibited – social program,” the Bets must block the registration.
Additionally, at the first login of each user every day, the 'Bets' must run the same check to determine whether there was any attempt to hide beneficiary status. Every 15 days, all registered CPFs must also be revalidated to identify new beneficiaries.
A database has been created containing Bolsa Família and BPC beneficiaries, and accessing this database is mandatory for the 'Bets' at all SPA-defined control points. This database is part of the Sigap “Prohibited Users” module, enabling the 'Bets' to restrict registration, deposits, and betting activity for users identified as beneficiaries.
In early October, the SPA held a webinar with operator representatives to address questions. The Prohibited Users Module — developed by the Federal Data Processing Service (Serpro) at the SPA’s request — can be accessed at this link.
Although the measure has been viewed critically by the market due to concerns about individual freedoms, the STF’s decision was motivated by the increase in beneficiaries engaging in online betting.
For João Fraga, CEO of Paag — specialized in financial compliance and already offering solutions to prevent beneficiaries from accessing the 'Bets' — the new requirements pose technical challenges for the sector but also open space to strengthen governance and compliance practices. According to Fraga, efficient implementation will depend on integrating registration systems with user-monitoring mechanisms.
“The procedure can be automated through KYC (Know Your Customer) and AML (Anti-Money Laundering) modules, like those provided by Paag. During onboarding, the CPF is checked against official databases such as Sigap before registration is completed. Afterward, the system performs automatic checks to detect whether a player became a beneficiary after signing up. When this happens, the account is flagged and closed according to legal deadlines,” Fraga explains.
Influencer Daniel Fortune, a Responsible Gaming specialist, says the measure reinforces the debate on conscious and responsible betting. The only risk he highlights is that blocked users may migrate to illegal platforms, where no legal, financial, or psychological safety exists.
Source: GMB
