Brazil’s SENACON bans gambling incentives nationwide

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The National Consumer Secretariat of Brazil (SENACON) has issued Order No. 2,344/2024, prohibiting all forms of customer incentives, such as bonuses and sign-up offers, in gambling activities across the country.

The directive mandates the elimination of any advertising tied to rewards, including advances, upfront payments, bonuses, or other promotional advantages, even if framed as marketing or advertising. SENACON emphasized that this applies to promotions aimed at encouraging bets.

Additionally, the order enforces a ban on advertising fixed-odds online betting games targeted at minors, requiring operators to halt any such campaigns.

Operators must submit a transparency report within 10 days, detailing compliance measures regarding the suspension of incentives. Non-compliance will incur a daily fine of R$50,000 (approximately €8,000). The directive applies to all active operators listed by the Secretariat of Prizes and Betting (SPA/MF) as participants in the betting market.

Signed by Vitor Hugo do Amaral Ferreira, director of SENACON, the order builds on previous restrictions. Ordinance No. 615, issued by the SPA and Ministry of Finance earlier this year, had already prohibited welcome bonuses and sign-up offers, underscoring:

It is forbidden for the operating agent to grant, in any form, advancement, anticipation, bonus, or prior advantage, even if merely for promotion, dissemination, or advertising, for placing bets.

Meanwhile, the SPA has initiated the final steps for licensing operators in Brazil’s emerging betting market. According to SPA President Regis Dudena, the list of qualified operators will be announced by the end of December. These operators will have 30 days to meet authorization requirements, including a R$30 million (€5 million) concession fee and platform certification checks.