Brazil's SPA sets wind-down rules for former betting operators, data due 7 October

Brazil has banned betting, and its Secretaria de Prêmios e Apostas (SPA), part of the Ministry of Finance, has set out the procedures and deadlines that companies formerly authorised to offer bets must follow as their operations are wound down. The rules are in Portaria nº 3.005/2026, published on Friday 2 October and announced by the ministry on 5 October. The first reporting deadline falls on 7 October.

What happened

The ordinance covers three areas: returning money to bettors, settling financial and regulatory obligations, and keeping company registration details current.

Returning money to bettors. Companies must tell the SPA, through its Sistema de Gestão de Apostas (Sigap), what final balances sit in bettors' accounts. They must also report the funds held in the transactional accounts used to move betting money. The figures must reflect balances recorded up to 23:59 on 5 October and reach the SPA by Wednesday 7 October.

The required data is detailed. Operators must identify the company and the brands it used, and name the financial institutions responsible for the accounts. For each bettor they must supply the CPF (tax ID) and date of birth, the amount owed and the banking details needed for the refund. They must also state the date on which they passed the payment data to the financial institutions.

Settling obligations. The ordinance sets 15 December 2026 as the deadline for companies to settle financial and regulatory obligations tied to their time in operation and to the transition as authorisations are extinguished. Any shorter deadlines the SPA has set for specific items still apply.

The ministry stresses that ending an authorisation does not end liability. Companies remain responsible for obligations that arose while they were operating. Finishing the steps in the ordinance does not stop the SPA or other competent bodies from identifying and collecting amounts later.

Registration details. Operators must keep registration and contact information up to date. Any change to the legal representative, address, telephone number or official email must be reported to the SPA within 48 hours. Each company must also name a legal representative to follow outstanding obligations until they are fully settled.

Why it matters

The ordinance sets deadlines and a list of required data for the process of returning funds to bettors, including a fixed cut-off for balances. Operators are asked to report bettor-level data and the date payment instructions went to banks.

For operators, the practical effect is that exit does not close their files. The 15 December deadline, the continuing liability for past obligations and the requirement to name a representative mean companies stay accountable to the SPA after their authorisations lapse.

The ministry's announcement refers to the prohibition of the bets as the background but does not describe its legal basis or scope. This article therefore does not cover those points.

What's next

The 7 October submission deadline for balance data is the first milestone. The next fixed date in the ordinance is 15 December 2026, for regularising financial and regulatory obligations, though the SPA may set shorter deadlines for specific items. The ministry also points to a related notice on the voluntary withdrawal of funds, whose deadline ended on 5 October.