Brazil Ministry of Finance orders immediate suspension of Pixbet

Brazil’s Ministry of Finance has ordered the immediate suspension of Pixbet’s operations and demanded that all ongoing bets be cancelled and wagered amounts returned to users. For PSPs and operators in regulated betting, the interesting part is not just the shutdown itself but the Ministry’s explicit link between licensing compliance, compulsive-gambling controls, and the right to keep taking bets.

1. The precautionary measure sets a daily fine of BRL200,000 ($38,512) for non-compliance and also orders the seizure of up to BRL1.1 billion from the company. Pixbet is a sports betting company based in Paraíba.
2. According to the Ministry of Finance, Pixbet allegedly failed to meet the required standards for monitoring and supervising betting companies and lacks mechanisms to monitor compulsive gamblers. The decision also says the company did not provide information requested by the Secretariat of Prizes and Bets (SPA).
3. The company is responsible for the domains “pix.bet.br”, “ganhei.bet.br” and “betdasorte.bet.br”. The Ministry said Pixbet can only resume operations after submitting the required information and after the SPA confirms compliance with the rules.
4. The measure orders all bets in progress to be cancelled and the amounts wagered to be returned to bettors. It also says Pixbet can continue operating in Rio de Janeiro and Paraná, where it holds local licences.
5. The suspension is separate from Operation Arena, which was launched on Thursday by the federal police, the Public Prosecutor’s office, the Ministry of Finance and the Federal Revenue Service. That operation is investigating a business group over suspected currency evasion and money laundering through sports betting, and the Federal Revenue Service and federal police also searched Pixbet on Thursday on suspicion of money laundering with crypto assets and offshore companies.

Ernildo Júnior, owner of Pixbet, was approached by federal police agents in Campina Grande on Thursday. His car and cell phone were seized during the execution of a search and seizure warrant. Pixbet’s defence team told G1 it had not seen the order authorising the operation and was “caught by surprise.”