Brazil Gaming License Gaming License

Federal SPA licence under Law 14,790/2023. Single permit: casino + sports betting. BRL 30M (~EUR 4.8M) fee + ~EUR 5.6M locked capital. 8–14 months. 13% GGR rising to 15% by 2028.

Brazil Gaming License flag
Brazil Gaming Licenselicense
Overview
Compliance burden
9/10
Risk level (PSP/Banks)
High
Cost Range
Cost Range
BRL 30M (~EUR 4.8M) fee + ~EUR 5.6M locked
Timeline
Timeline
8–14 months
Suitability Score
Suitability Score
Growing
Taxation
Taxation
13% GGR (2026) rising to 15% by 2028; 34% CIT
Table of contents
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Key advantages of Brazil Gaming License Gaming License

200M+ Player Market

200M+ inhabitants, mobile penetration above 80%. R$8.82 billion in taxes in 2025.

One Licence, Both Verticals

Single SPA authorisation covers sports betting and online casino. No separate filing, no second fee.

Three Brands per Licence

Up to three brands or skins under .bet.br domains per licence.

State-Licence Backdoor Closed

2025 STF ruling: state licences restricted to players inside that state. Federal SPA is the only national route.

Actively Enforced Market

66 supervisory proceedings in H1 2025. Active enforcement protects licensed operators.

Required documents of Brazil Gaming License Gaming License

  • Articles of association (S.A. or LTDA)
    Check
  • UBO structure — full ownership chain
    Check
  • Two years of audited financial statements
    Check
  • Business plan
    Check
  • AML/KYC/CTF framework and responsible gambling plan
    Check
  • Background documentation for all directors, shareholders, and compliance officers
    Check
  • Platform certification by SPA-accredited laboratory
    Check

Minimum 20% Brazilian shareholder ownership is mandatory. PIX is the only viable payment method. Stress-test the post-2027 tax stack (CIDE-Bets + CBS/IBS + Imposto Seletivo) before committing capital.

You provide financial statements, UBO structure, and background documentation. MGL handles: entity formation, banking introduction, platform certification coordination, AML/KYC framework, business plan, SIGAP submission, and all SPA correspondence.

If you want to take bets from players anywhere in Brazil, the federal licence from the Secretaria de Prêmios e Apostas (SPA) is the only viable route. It costs BRL 30 million (around EUR 4.8M) for five years, covers up to three brands, and authorises both sports betting and online casino under a single permit.

Budget 8 to 14 months end to end, around EUR 5.6M in locked-up capital separate from the fee, and a tax burden that practitioners put at over 50% of gross revenue and rising. This is not a market you enter to test an idea. It is a market you enter to scale one.

What Is Brazil's Gambling Licence?

A single authorisation from the Secretaria de Prêmios e Apostas (SPA) covering both online sports betting and casino. BRL 30 million for five years, up to three brands under .bet.br domains, the only route to the national market.

Why Brazil Is Worth the Cost

Brazil launched its regulated market on 1 January 2025 under Law 14,790/2023. 200M+ inhabitants, mobile penetration above 80%. As of June 2026: 187 authorised .bet.br brands, R$8.82 billion in taxes in 2025, R$3.4 billion in Q1 2026 alone — a 123.7% year-on-year jump.

What the Licence Covers

Parameter

Detail

Issuing authority

Secretaria de Prêmios e Apostas (SPA), Ministério da Fazenda

Term

5 years from issuance

Brands covered

Up to 3 brands or skins per licence

Additional brands

BRL 30M per 3 further brands

Verticals

Sports betting and casino, one application, no separate filing

Prediction markets are not covered: Resolution CMN 5,298 (in force 4 May 2026) bans derivative contracts referencing sporting, political, or entertainment events.

Cost: What You Actually Pay, and What You Lock Up

Item

Amount

Type

Licence concession fee

BRL 30,000,000 (~EUR 4.8M)

One-time, non-refundable, 5-year term

Minimum paid-in capital

BRL 30,000,000 (~EUR 4.8M)

Equity held in the company, not a fee

Player funds reserve

BRL 5,000,000 (~EUR 800K)

Held in a reserve account

Technical certification

EUR 20,000 to 60,000

Varies by platform complexity

The ~EUR 5.6M in locked capital (BRL 30M + BRL 5M reserve) is held inside the Brazilian entity for the licence period, separate from the BRL 30M fee. Budget roughly EUR 120,000 to 250,000/yr in recurring operating cost, excluding tax.

Tax: The Real Reason to Model This Carefully

Year

CIDE-Bets rate of GGR

2025

12%

2026

13%

2027

14%

2028

15%

On top: corporate income tax at 34% of taxable profit, PIS + COFINS at 9.25% of revenue. Total burden exceeds 50% of gross revenue. CBS/IBS dual VAT (Decree 12,955, 29 April 2026) adds ~26.5% on GGR, phasing in to 2033, on top of CIDE-Bets. Imposto Seletivo (sin tax) applies from 2027.

Timeline: 8 to 14 Months

Phase

Duration

Corporate setup

4 to 8 weeks

Document prep and platform certification

8 to 16 weeks

SPA + MESP official review

195 days (~6.5 months)

Fee payment and final approval

2 to 4 weeks

Post-approval go-live readiness

4 to 8 weeks

How the Process Runs

  • Corporate setup. Incorporate a Brazilian S.A. or LTDA. Minimum 20% Brazilian shareholder ownership is mandatory. Demonstrate BRL 30M paid-in capital and BRL 5M reserve.

  • Documents: articles of association, UBO structure, two years of financials, business plan, AML/KYC/CTF framework, responsible gambling plan, full principal backgrounds.

  • Submission via SIGAP only. No paper route. Triggers fit-and-proper checks including COAF review.

  • Technical certification: ISO 27001, RNG and game-fairness testing by an SPA-accredited lab. Data must be hosted in Brazil.

  • Official review: up to 195 calendar days. Provisional authorisation may be granted for 30 days.

  • Fee payment: 30 days after approval to pay BRL 30M. Non-payment voids the approval.

Banking and Payments: The PIX-Only Reality

Only BCB-authorised PSPs may process payments. PIX is effectively mandatory — over 90% of transactions. Launching without PIX is commercially unviable.

Prohibited:

Credit cards, cryptocurrency, cash, boleto, and third-party payments. Resolution BCB 561 (effective 1 October 2026) closes the back-end crypto rail.

The State-Licence "Backdoor" Is Closed

The STF (February 2025) restricted state-licensed operators to bets from players physically inside that state, enforced by geolocation. A Loterj or similar state licence is not a substitute for the federal SPA licence.

Ongoing Compliance

  • COAF reporting: all prize payments of BRL 10,000 or more; SISCOAF registration within 10 days.

  • KYC: CPF verification mandatory for all players, biometric and facial recognition at account opening.

  • Responsible gambling: check SIGAP self-exclusion register on registration and daily. Bolsa Família and BPC benefit recipients are barred.

  • Seven operators had licences suspended in May 2025 for missing a cybersecurity report deadline.

Brazil Against the Alternatives

Brazil (SPA)

Peru

Panama

Cost

BRL 30M + ~EUR 5.6M locked

~EUR 790K guarantee face value

~USD 40K + ~USD 500K deposit

Gaming tax

13% GGR rising to 15% by 2028

12% net winnings + 1% ISC

10% GGR

Timeline

8–14 months

5–14 months

2–8 months

Best for

Scale play: largest LatAm market

Peru or LatAm thesis

Low-tax international base

Where Operators Get This Wrong

  • The 20% ownership requirement, discovered late. Finding a credible Brazilian shareholder who passes fit-and-proper checks takes time and legal care.

  • Banking left until after approval. Start banking in parallel.

  • Modelling the 2026 tax headline, not the post-2027 stack.

  • Buying a "cheap national" state licence. The STF closed that route in February 2025.

FAQ

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Yes. The federal SPA authorisation is a single permit covering fixed-odds sports betting and online casino. No separate filing or second fee.

Plan for 8 to 14 months end to end. The official SPA review runs up to 195 calendar days; entity setup, banking, certification, and go-live integration add the rest.

The BRL 30M licence fee sits on top of ~EUR 5.6M in locked capital: BRL 30M minimum paid-in capital and a BRL 5M player-funds reserve.

No. After the 2025 STF rulings, a state licence only permits bets from players physically inside that state. The federal SPA licence is the only national route.

No. Only BCB-authorised PSPs may process payments. PIX and bank transfer are permitted. Cryptocurrency is prohibited under Ordinance SPA/MF 615.

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