Brazil Gambling Licence 2026: Banned Under MP 1,394
MP 1,394 banned fixed-odds betting in Brazil on 25 Sep 2026: sites off by day 10, licences end on day 30, players refunded. Congress has 60 days to convert it.
Contents
Brazil no longer licenses online betting. On 25 September 2026 the President issued Medida Provisória nº 1,394, published the same day in an extra edition of the Diário Oficial da União, and it took effect on publication. It bans fixed-odds betting across the country, closes the federal licensing regime that opened in 2025 and gives licensed operators a short, fixed timetable to shut down and repay players.
This guide used to explain how to get a Brazilian licence under Law 14,790/2023. That route is closed, so it now sets out what the measure says, the dates that matter and what is still undecided.
- MP 1,394 of 25 September 2026 prohibits operating, offering, intermediating and advertising fixed-odds betting in Brazil, including by operators based abroad.
- No new authorisations are granted, and requests pending on 25 September fall away.
- Authorisations under Law 14,790/2023 end 30 days after publication, with no refund of the grant fee.
- Licensed sites and apps go offline after ten days, and players are refunded through the operators’ banks.
- The measure lapses unless Congress converts it into law within 60 days, extendable once by 60.
What the measure prohibits
Article 1 bans the operation, offer, intermediation and advertising of fixed-odds betting lotteries in Brazil, physical or online. The ban reaches an operator based abroad that offers bets to people located in Brazil. Paragraph 1 makes clear it covers bets on real sporting events and on virtual events in online games, which is the casino side of the old licence. Other lottery products authorised by law are outside it. Article 2 applies the same ban to state and Federal District lotteries, whose own betting concessions are also extinguished.
What happens to the licensed market
Until September, Brazil licensed fixed-odds betting and online games through the Secretaria de Prêmios e Apostas (SPA) of the Ministry of Finance under Law 14,790/2023, with a grant fee capped at BRL 30 million for three brands. MP 1,394 ends that system in stages.
| When | What happens | Article |
|---|---|---|
| 25 September 2026 | MP published and in force; no new authorisations; pending requests fall away; no new money into player accounts; advertising banned | Arts. 1, 6, 7 §1, 16, 30 |
| Ten days after publication | Betting sites and apps offline, including app stores; open bets voided and refunded; advertising removed | Arts. 7, 16 §2 |
| Two days after going offline | Operators fund refunds and send player lists to their banks and the SPA | Art. 8 |
| Seven days after the lists arrive | Banks repay players by CPF, preferably to the source account | Art. 9 |
| 30 days after publication | Every authorisation under Law 14,790/2023 is extinguished | Art. 4 |
The grant fee is gone for good. Article 4 says the extinction is a matter of public interest and gives no right to a full or partial refund of the fee paid under article 12 of Law 14,790/2023, or to compensation. Obligations from the licensed period survive: taxes and other payments, AML and responsible-gaming duties, cooperation with the authorities and keeping records for at least five years (art. 10), plus final reporting through the SPA’s Sigap system (art. 11). An operator that misses the refund duties faces a daily fine of R$200,000 until it complies (art. 8 §2).
Article 29 repeals most of Law 14,790/2023 and Chapter V of Law 13,756/2018, the chapter that set up fixed-odds betting and its monthly supervision fee. The old rules still apply to what happened while the authorisations ran.
How the ban is enforced
The measure goes after the same pressure points Brazil used against the grey market in July, which we covered in our crackdown analysis, and applies them to everyone. Banks, payment institutions and payment-scheme participants, instant payments included, may not process betting transactions (art. 14), and the Central Bank is to set up a way to reject and return them (art. 15). Advertising, marketing and sponsorship aimed at Brazil are prohibited and treated as abusive advertising under the Consumer Defence Code (arts. 16 to 18). Internet platforms must stop betting content circulating and app stores must remove betting apps, with fines of up to 10% of Brazilian turnover (arts. 19 to 22). The Ministries of Finance and Justice can order sites blocked or redirected, carried out through Anatel and CGI.br (art. 23).
The ban names operators based abroad. A brand licensed in Anjouan, Curaçao or anywhere else that keeps taking Brazilian players is the conduct article 1 prohibits, and the payment and blocking powers are aimed at it. Geoblock Brazil and check your payment providers’ Brazilian exposure.
What is still open
A provisional measure is temporary law. Under article 62 of the Constitution it loses effect from the start unless Congress converts it within 60 days of publication, and that period is extended once by another 60 if the vote is not finished. Congress lists 25 September to 23 November 2026 as the first deliberation period. Congress may pass it as it stands, amend it or let it lapse, and each outcome would leave operators in a different position. We are not going to guess which. We will update this guide and our Brazil page as the measure moves.
What this means if Brazil was in your plan
If you were preparing an SPA application, stop spending on it; undecided requests fall away under article 6. If you hold an authorisation, the timetable above is already running. If you serve Brazil from an offshore licence, block it. Latin American alternatives each carry their own rules: Mexico runs a permit system under SEGOB, covered in our Mexico gambling licence guide, and our offshore vs onshore framework helps weigh a regulated market against a broader offshore base. Book a free consultation and we will look at which licensed markets fit a product that was built for Brazil.
Frequently asked questions
Can I still get a gambling licence in Brazil?
No. Medida Provisória 1,394, published on 25 September 2026, bars new authorisations for fixed-odds betting from the date of publication, and requests the SPA had not decided by then fall away (art. 6). While the measure is in force there is no Brazilian gaming licence to apply for.
What happens to operators that already hold an SPA licence?
Their authorisations are extinguished at the end of 30 days from publication (art. 4), with no refund of the grant fee and no compensation. Before that, they must take their betting sites and apps offline ten days after publication, void open bets and refund players (arts. 7 to 9).
Does the ban cover online casino as well as sports betting?
Yes. The ban covers fixed-odds bets on real sporting events and on virtual events in online games (art. 1, § 1). Other lottery products authorised by law are outside it (art. 1, § 2).
Does it apply to operators licensed offshore?
Yes. Article 1 expressly includes an operator based abroad that offers fixed-odds betting to people located in Brazil. Payment institutions may not process betting transactions (art. 14), and the ministries can order sites blocked (art. 23).
Could the ban be reversed?
A provisional measure has the force of law from publication but loses effect unless Congress converts it into law within 60 days, a period that can be extended once by 60 days (Constitution, art. 62). Congress can convert it, amend it or let it lapse. We will update this guide when it does.
Sources
This article is for general informational purposes only and is not legal, tax or financial advice. Consult a qualified professional before acting.
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