Brazil’s TCU will review the government’s betting-licence criteria and disclosure rules

Brazil’s Federal Audit Court, the TCU, has been asked to examine how the Ministry of Finance is authorizing fixed-odds betting operators. For high-risk operators and PSPs, the key issue is not just who gets approved, but how much of the approval process is kept under wraps.

1. On Tuesday, June 16, Lucas Furtado, deputy prosecutor at the Ministério Público junto ao TCU, submitted a representation asking the TCU to review the federal government’s procedures for authorizing betting companies in Brazil. The request targets the authorization process run by the Ministry of Finance’s Secretaria de Prêmios e Apostas, which is responsible for fixed-odds betting licences.
2. The representation argues that there is a lack of transparency in how the Secretariat grants these authorizations. According to the text cited by Estadão, the concern is that secrecy around the process could make it harder to see who is being approved and on what basis.
3. The filing says the review is meant to help prevent money laundering, the entry of shell companies into the domestic market, the concealment of business owners’ names, conflicts of interest, and the participation of people who are barred from the sector or under investigation.
4. Minister Bruno Dantas has received the case. The TCU is already conducting oversight on governance, anti-money-laundering controls, and supervision of the betting market, so this is not an isolated look at one licence decision; it sits inside a broader audit track.
5. The case has been sent to the Unidade de Auditoria Especializada em Orçamento, Tributação e Gestão Fiscal (AudFiscal), which will examine who the betting companies’ shareholders are, who the beneficial owners are, and how the government decides to grant authorizations. The audit will also assess whether the process provides sufficient transparency and whether the control mechanisms are adequate to prevent irregularities in the sector.

For PSPs and acquiring teams, the practical takeaway is straightforward: Brazil’s licensing regime is now being scrutinized not only for market access, but for disclosure standards around ownership and control. In a high-risk vertical, that is the part that usually decides how comfortable banks and payment partners feel staying in the room.