Authorities in Brazil have suspended the licenses of four gambling operators due to technical and regulatory failures.
Caixa Lotteries SA, Pixbet Technological Solutions, TQJ-PAR Participações, and 7MBR LTDA are the entities placed under “provisional suspension”, following an announcement on Thursday (10 April).
The announcement was made by the Secretariat of the Brazilian betting market (SPA), under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Finance (MEF).
The operators, which run several betting brands collectively, are now subject to a 90-day maximum ban with no authorisation to offer betting services during this time. However, if they are able to submit the required information and demonstrate full compliance with the relevant regulations, there is scope for the suspension to be lifted with full license provisions resumed.
Until then, the respective online platforms will remain accessible in Brazil, but only for users to be able to withdraw funds.
The four companies were found to have failed to meet the obligations of Article 3 of Ordnance SPA/MF 2104, which sets out the relevant technical requirements for platform infrastructure, wagering systems, and IT security.
A catalyst for the sanctions was the launch of the federal betting regime in Brazil on 1 January 2025, with operators given a four-week deadline to meet the new certification requirements.
As part of the new compliance process, the various requirements had to be certified by SPA-recognized independent agencies, including BMM Testlabs, eCOGRA, Gaming Associates Europe, Gaming Laboratories International (GLI), and Trisigma BV.
Full operating licenses issued to 43 companies
The suspensions are a relatively high-profile intervention, given the stature of the companies involved.
TQJ-PAR Participações, a subsidiary entity of Brazil’s television network Grupo Silvio Santos, operates the Bingo Bank, TeleSenaBet, and Bet do Milhão platforms, while Caixa Lotteries is the state-owned operator of Brazil’s federal lottery competition, including instant win games.
Another highly prominent company involved is Pixbet Technological Solutions, which runs the PixBet and FlaBet services. The company is a primary sponsor of major Brazilian soccer club, CR Flamengo, as well as Atletico Mineiro, Coritiba, and Club Nautico.
Pixbet had put in place state-level licenses prior to the new national system taking effect this year, but the dual system did not meet the framework of the SPA, contributing to the current impasse.
At present, the SPA has issued full operating licenses to 43 companies, which have satisfactorily met the new requirements of the betting regime in Brazil.
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