Brazil says more than 5 million people are barred from betting platforms as Fazenda opens up authorisation files

Brazil’s Ministry of Finance says more than 5 million people are prohibited from placing bets on licensed “bets” platforms in the country. For PSPs and operators, the more relevant point is that the government is now making authorisation processes public, which gives the market a clearer view of who is approved, who is under scrutiny, and where enforcement is moving.

1. Finance Minister Dario Durigan said on Thursday (13/8) that the total includes several groups facing different restrictions. Around 3 million are beneficiaries of Bolsa Família or the Benefício de Prestação Continuada (BPC), both of which are blocked from accessing betting platforms.
2. Another 1.2 million people requested self-exclusion from bets platforms. The remaining 800,000 joined Novo Desenrola, the federal debt renegotiation programme; under its rules, participants cannot place online bets for at least six months.
3. Durigan said the ministry did not count other groups that are also banned from gambling in this total. Those include public officials working in the betting sector, professional athletes, referees, sports executives, sports inspectors or technicians, and people diagnosed with ludopathy.
4. The Ministry of Finance also said it will begin publishing all bets authorisation processes starting on Thursday (13/8). The rollout will be gradual, and for now the ministry has published the processes for companies already authorised to operate.
5. Durigan also said the authorisation for the platform involved in Operation Arena was suspended as a precautionary measure. The operation was launched on Wednesday (12/8) by the Federal Police and the Federal Revenue Service, with the ministry saying the case involves criminal enforcement, money laundering, and concealment of assets.

For high-risk payment providers, the practical takeaway is simple: Brazil is tightening the link between licensing, compliance, and enforcement, while also building clearer lists of who must be kept out of the market. That matters for onboarding, monitoring, and chargeback-risk management, because the state is making the rules easier to inspect and, by extension, easier to enforce.