Brazil Casinos
Online casinos in Brazil have been banned since Provisional Measure 1.394 of 25 September 2026, and every .bet.br site has been dark since 6 October. The Supreme Federal Court and Congress still have to decide whether the ban stays.
Online Casinos in Brazil 2026: Banned Since September
For most of 2025 Brazil was the market everybody in the industry talked about. A federal licence, .bet.br addresses, Pix deposits that landed in seconds. That chapter is closed. Since 25 September 2026 no company may offer online casinos in Brazil, and that includes the ones that held a full licence a month ago.
This page explains the law as it stands on 24 October 2026: how the licensed market ended, what the measure actually forbids, what happened to the money players had left on their accounts, and which court and parliamentary steps could still change the picture. We do not point anyone in Brazil to a casino, because right now there is no legal one to point to.
Can you legally play at online casinos in Brazil in 2026?
Quick answer: No. Provisional Measure 1.394, signed on 25 September 2026, bans the offer and advertising of online casino games and fixed odds betting to anyone located in Brazil, including operators licensed abroad. Deposits stopped the same day, the licensed .bet.br sites shut on 6 October and federal authorisations end on 25 October. Justice Luiz Fux of the Supreme Federal Court is reviewing challenges, and Congress has to convert the measure into law or let it expire.
From licensed market to ban
Brazil spent decades with every form of casino outlawed on land, a rule dating back to 1946, and online play sat in a grey zone used mostly by sites based elsewhere. Law 14.790, signed on 29 December 2023, changed that by creating a federal licence for fixed odds betting, which under the law also covered online casino games.
Twenty one months of .bet.br
The regulated market opened on 1 January 2025. Operators needed authorisation from the Secretariat of Prizes and Bets (SPA), part of the Ministry of Finance, and a five year licence cost BRL 30 million (about EUR 5.3 million). Players had to be 18, register with their CPF and pay from an account in their own name. Credit cards were off limits from the start.
Provisional Measure 1.394
On 25 September 2026 President Lula signed a provisional measure that took effect on publication. It prohibits running, offering, intermediating and advertising fixed odds bets across the country, both on real sports events and in online games, which takes in slots and the rest of the casino lobby. New deposits were barred at once. Players could withdraw manually until 23:59 on 5 October, sites and apps went dark on 6 October, and the authorisations expire on 25 October. The licence fee is not refunded, and no compensation is paid.
Is online gambling legal in Brazil?
No, not for anyone in the country. The measure applies to every operator serving people located in Brazil, whether it held an SPA authorisation or a licence from another jurisdiction. Licences issued elsewhere never made a site legal for Brazilians, and now the domestic ones are gone too.
The ban is broader than the games themselves. Under the measure and the rules that followed it:
- Advertising and sponsorship of betting is forbidden in every medium, influencer posts included, and banned ads count as abusive under the Consumer Protection Code.
- Anatel, the telecoms regulator, orders sites and apps blocked. The government sent 13,241 illegal betting sites for blocking within the first 12 days.
- App stores and platforms that keep betting apps available face fines of up to 10% of their group revenue in Brazil.
The traditional lotteries already provided for in law are not touched by the measure. Official notices on the wind down are published by the Ministry of Finance.
Payments, Pix and the bank block
Pix was the backbone of the licensed market, and it is also how the ban is enforced. Banks, payment institutions and anyone taking part in a payment arrangement, instant payments included, may no longer process, settle or enable betting transactions. The only exceptions are the payments needed to wind operators down and to send players their money back. The Central Bank confirmed that duty in Resolution 590 of 28 September 2026.
In practice that means a Pix key, a TED or a debit card can no longer be used to fund a betting account in Brazil. Anyone who still sees a site asking for a Brazilian payment is dealing with an operator working outside the law, and money sent there has no protection from any Brazilian authority. Tax and anti money laundering duties for the licensed period stay with the former operators.
What happened to accounts and balances
The measure built its own refund route, so players did not have to chase each operator.
Open bets
Any bet still open when a site went offline is void, and the full stake goes back to the player. Bets already settled are paid out as normal, so a win from before the ban is still yours.
Money left on the account
Operators had to secure player funds and hand a list of balances, tied to each CPF, to the banks holding their accounts. Those banks then had seven days to transfer it to an account held by the player, ideally the same one the deposits came from. Transfers ran from 9 to 14 October.
When the normal route fails
Where the original bank could not complete a refund, Caixa Econômica Federal took over from 15 October. If you think you are still owed money from a licensed .bet.br site, your bank or Caixa is the place to ask, not a support chat on a site that should no longer exist.
Responsible gambling in Brazil
Part of the government’s case for the ban was the damage betting had done to household budgets, and the end of the legal sites does not end the habit for everyone. Illegal sites are already working hard to fill the gap. If betting has become a problem for you or someone close to you, these services are free:
- SUS, the public health system, treats gambling problems through its UBS clinics and the CAPS psychosocial care centres. You can walk into the nearest unit.
- Jogadores Anônimos holds online meetings open to people anywhere in Brazil.
- CVV answers 24 hours a day on 188, or online at cvv.org.br, for anyone in crisis.
Our responsible gambling guide covers the warning signs and how to talk to a friend or relative about them.
Why we no longer rate casinos for Brazil
What changed on this page after Provisional Measure 1.394, and what we are watching next
From reviews to legal status
This page used to compare licensed .bet.br operators. Those licences end on 25 October 2026, and an offer aimed at Brazil after that date breaks the law, so there is nothing left for us to compare. Until the rules change we treat Brazil the way we treat every closed market: we explain the law and stay out of the casino business there.
Two dates to watch
The first is the court. Justice Fux is rapporteur for the constitutional challenges to the measure, brought by betting industry associations and the broadcasters’ association Abert, with dozens of football clubs asking to be heard. As of 24 October he has not ruled, and he is expected to decide after the presidential runoff on 25 October whether the suspension stays in force before the full court rules.
The second is Congress. A provisional measure lapses unless it is converted into law within 60 days, extendable once by 60 more, with recess pausing the clock. The first period runs out on 23 November, and the measure starts blocking the agenda from 9 November. Lawmakers filed 97 amendments, and many of them would bring back sports betting while keeping the casino games banned.
Brazilians living abroad
Your rules come from the country you live in, not your passport. Our Brazilian Portuguese language guide is written for Brazilians outside Brazil, and every other market is listed in our country guides.
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Are online casinos legal in Brazil?
No. Since Provisional Measure 1.394 took effect on 25 September 2026, nobody may offer online casino games or fixed odds bets to people located in Brazil. That covers the former .bet.br licence holders and sites licensed in other countries alike. Land based casinos have been illegal since 1946, so for now there is no legal casino of any kind for residents.
Who regulated online gambling in Brazil?
The Secretariat of Prizes and Bets (SPA) at the Ministry of Finance licensed operators from 1 January 2025 under Law 14.790. Those authorisations end on 25 October 2026. Enforcement of the ban now falls to several bodies: Anatel orders blocks, the Central Bank requires payment firms to refuse betting transactions, and a new Federal Police division targets illegal betting.
What happened to money left on Brazilian betting accounts?
It was sent back through the banking system. Bets still open when a site closed were cancelled and the stake returned, while settled wins kept their value. Each operator gave its banks a list of player balances matched to CPF numbers, and the refunds went out between 9 and 14 October. Since 15 October, Caixa Econômica Federal picks up any refund that got stuck.
Can the ban on online casinos in Brazil be reversed?
Possibly. Justice Luiz Fux of the Supreme Federal Court is reviewing the constitutional challenges and is expected to decide after the 25 October runoff whether the measure stays in force. Congress also has 60 days, plus one 60 day extension, to turn it into law, or it falls away. Many proposed amendments would restore sports betting but keep casino games banned.
Is the lottery still legal in Brazil?
Yes. The measure targets fixed odds betting and online casino games, and it leaves the traditional lotteries already provided for in Brazilian law untouched. Those include the federal lotteries run through Caixa and its network of lottery outlets. Do not confuse them with online sites dressed up as lotteries, which fall under the ban.
Where can I get help with a gambling problem in Brazil?
Treatment is free through SUS, at a UBS clinic or a CAPS psychosocial care centre near you. Jogadores Anônimos runs online meetings open to anyone in Brazil, and CVV answers on 188 around the clock if you are in crisis. Our responsible gambling guide also explains the warning signs and how to support someone close to you.
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