The ministry has contacted 17 gambling operators.

Brazil.- The Ministry of Justice and Public Security (MJSP) has contacted 17 gambling operators to request details about how they will protect vulnerable consumers. The move comes ahead of the planned launch of a regulated online gambling market from January 1. Operators active on the grey market but have applied for licences have been allowed to continue operating during the transition period.

The operators, which include both multinational and local brands, were asked by the National Consumer Secretariat (Senacon) to provide a detailed outline of their measures on advertising, bonuses and restrictions designed to prevent minors from gambling. They must also detail monitoring and blocking systems in place to protect consumers at risk of indebtedness.

Operators have been given until next Monday (November 11) to provide the details requested.

Wadih Damous, the secretary for consumer affairs, said the ministry aimed to ensure that operators were complying with the law. He said: “The increase in promotional practices and bonuses can make consumers vulnerable and expose minors to a universe of risk.”

The operators that have been contacted include bet365, Betano, KTO, SportingBet, BetNacional, Superbet, Rivalo, EstrelaBet, Bet Sul, Betfair, PixBetc, Pix365, Esportes da Sorte and VaideBet.

Regulated online gambling faces last-minute headwinds

The new gambling regulator, the SPA, is up and running and processing licence applications ahead of the January 1 launch, but both legislative moves and lawsuits aim to put the brakes on an already long-delayed process.

On the legal side, Loterj, the Rio de Janeiro state lottery (Loterj), has lodged a federal lawsuit that seeks to annul the list of approved gambling operators drawn up by the new Brazilian gambling regulator, the SPA. The regulator had set an October 1 deadline for operators already active on the grey market to apply for licences in order to continue operating.

The regulator has allowed around 100 operators to continue after they submitted applications. However, Loterj argues that the process was invalid and the operators cannot be considered approved until they have paid the BRL30m (€4.7m licence fee) and gone through a public bidding process overseen by the Federal Supreme Court (STF).