Government releases use of R$ 5 million betting reserve to return money to bettors
Government regulates use of R$ 5 million betting reserve to return money to bettors after betting was banned in Brazil
The Federal Government has established new rules to ensure the return of money to bettors after the ban on sports bookmakers and online gambling in Brazil. The measure allows companies in the sector to use a mandatory financial reserve of R$ 5 million to remove outstanding amounts with their customers.
The regulation was published on Tuesday (10) by the Secretariat of Awards and Bets of the Ministry of Finance (SPA/MF), through the Normative Instruction no 32/2026. The initiative complements the Medida Provisória No. 1.394 of 25 September 2026, which prohibited the exploitation, supply and advertising of fixed-rate bets on national territory.
Companies can use reserve of R$ 5 million
The financial reserve of R$ 5 million per company was established by Portaria SPA/MF no 615/2024 as a consumer protection mechanism.
With the new regulation, operators who do not have sufficient resources to fully return the balances of the bettors will be able to request authorization from the Ministry of Finance to use this amount.
However, the money must be used exclusively to reimburse the amounts due to the users.
This means that companies will not be able to use the reserve to pay salaries, taxes, administrative expenses or costs related to the closure of their activities.
How will the money be returned?
To access the resources, companies must present documents and information that prove the outstanding amounts of payment.
The operators will also be responsible for the veracity of the data forwarded to the Secretariat of Prizes and Bets.
After the analysis of the documentation and the authorization of the federal body, the resources will be transferred to Caixa Econômica Federal, the institution responsible for making payments to the punters.
The procedure seeks to ensure that the reserved money is used to meet the platforms’ financial obligations to consumers.
What happens to the money left over?
The normative instruction also determines the procedures for the eventual release of the amounts that remain in the financial reserve after the payment of the bettors.
In this case, companies may request the release of the remaining balance, provided they prove that all the restitution obligations have been fulfilled.
The measure is part of the process of closing betting operations in Brazil, following the prohibition established by the Federal Government.
According to the Ministry of Finance, the regulation aims to protect bettors, ensure the return of values and establish criteria for the movement of financial reserves. (The information is from the Gov.0 Agency)
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