Brazil SPA Says No Fraud in Gambling Self-Exclusion Schemes

Brazil’s Secretariat of Prizes and Bets (SPA), which operates under the Ministry of Finance, has confirmed that it has received no formal reports of fraud linked to the country’s online gambling self-exclusion system, despite claims from some operators about attempted misuse.

The clarification follows reports from betting companies that they had detected unusual betting activity shortly after users enrolled in the self-exclusion programme. According to operators, some individuals allegedly placed bets on opposite outcomes of the same sporting event across different platforms just before their exclusion period fully took effect.

Operators claim these users later recorded losses and contacted customer support teams requesting refunds, arguing that they should not have been able to place bets due to their self-exclusion status. However, the SPA stressed that no such complaints have been officially filed with the regulator.

How Brazil’s self-exclusion system operates

The Centralised Self-Exclusion Platform was launched on 10 December 2025 as part of Brazil’s responsible gambling framework, aimed at protecting players showing signs of problem or compulsive gambling. Within its first 20 days, the Ministry of Finance received 153,000 requests to block access to licensed sports betting platforms.

Developed by Serpro (Federal Data Processing Service), the system allows players to voluntarily choose an exclusion period ranging from one to 12 months, or to opt for an indefinite ban. Access is provided via the government portal gov.br/autoexclusaoapostas, and the platform applies to all betting operators licensed by the SPA.

The regulator also highlighted that operators are legally permitted a grace period of up to 72 hours to fully implement a self-exclusion request after it has been submitted.

SPA’s official position

In a statement to Poder360, the SPA reiterated that there are currently no registered complaints within Sigap, Brazil’s Betting Management System, relating to alleged fraudulent use of the self-exclusion tool.

The authority explained that when a self-exclusion request is submitted, betting operators are notified through system checks carried out during login attempts. This process is governed by Normative Instruction 31/2025, which outlines how exclusion notices are communicated between the central platform and licensed operators.

Treatment of bets placed before exclusion

The SPA also issued a key clarification regarding wagers placed before a self-exclusion becomes fully effective. Operators are required to enforce exclusions within a maximum of 72 hours, but the exclusion may take effect at any point within that window.

According to the regulator, any bet placed before the exclusion is active remains valid, provided no other legal issue applies, regardless of the bet’s outcome. Once the exclusion is in force, or once the 72-hour period has elapsed, the bettor is prevented from placing wagers or accessing betting platforms entirely.

The statement was intended to reinforce legal clarity around Brazil’s self-exclusion process and address concerns raised by segments of the betting industry.