Brazil
Inside Brazil’s race to the finish line
The buzz around a fully-regulated Brazilian sports betting market has been amplified since the passing of legislation in late December 2023. As operators await the publication of a regulatory framework later this year, many industry stakeholders are trying to prepare themselves for meeting licensing requirements.
Marc Crean, OpenBet’s VP for Latin America and Canada, shares predictions for the months ahead.
After a two-decade wait for a legalised gambling market, Brazil’s president, Luiz Inacio da Silva, has now sanctioned law 14790 to approve gambling regulation in the booming LatAm market. The government has been engaging key stakeholders and giving regular and transparent updates over recent months and the path to regulation looks optimistic with a thriving market is in sight.
There are strong opinions from all sides about Brazilian regulation and how it should look, yet there is great potential to create new revenue streams and jobs for the country, which is generally viewed as the jewel in the crown of LatAm’s sports betting market. However, before the market can operate smoothly, sustainably, and safely, the serious issues of match-fixing, money laundering and responsible gaming must be ironed out. A highly publicised investigation concerning allegations of widespread match-fixing is still ongoing, with seven professional football players charged for alleged crimes in the scandal.
The government wants to establish a market that provides sports betting entertainment to Brazilians, generates revenue for the country and protects local players and institutions as quickly as possible, but the specifics of the regulations will change over time as technology develops. The framework must be flexible enough to cope with changing demands and stay one step ahead of illegal operations when it is finalised.
One introduction is a 12% GGR tax on operators, which is a sustainable rate and in line with other successful regions, as well as a 15% tax on bettors’ net gains. This is expected to generate R$3 billion in revenue for the Brazilian government each year. However, while the government will struggle to satisfy all stakeholders, taxes are not unique to Brazil nor to sports betting. Most market estimates have Brazil as third or fourth in the world in terms of size, and the proposed cost of a license is in line with UK and US costs.
What is clear is that Brazilian regulators must exercise caution on a proposed tax on player winnings. There is room to do this successfully based on how the tax imposition is implemented. It is in the law, so it is going to be in place, but the devil is in the details. It has been seen again and again how this type of tax, whilst well-intentioned, can reduce channelisation and end up pushing people to black market sites.
Shaping the industry of the future
Brazil has its own unique cultural, social and economic dynamics that will have a major influence on product, operations and marketing activities. Regulation will create a massive amount of local opportunity both on the supply and the operator side of our industry. However, people tend to overestimate the need for local product and underestimate the need for local marketing and operations. This invariably creates opportunities for local companies and I think this is healthy for our industry.
Early-adoption, innovation and an unparalleled consumption of social media are three local dynamics that will have a massive impact on the shape of the industry. As always, companies with boots on the ground will be better placed to understand and tap into these areas.
When you add in the size of the market and the passion for sports, we can expect to see a lot of new ideas and innovations coming out of Brazil once the market fully opens up and starts to flourish.
Booming Games has successfully obtained the required certification to operate in Brazil, fully complying with the regulations set by Brazil’s gambling regulator, the Secretariat of Evaluation, Planning, Energy, and Lottery (SECAP).
Booming Games became one of the first providers to get approval and be compliant. This milestone enables them to offer its wide array of gaming content to licensed operators in Brazil, allowing Brazilian players to dive into fan favourites like Burning Classics, Gold Gold Gold, TNT Bonanza 2, Cash Pig, Buffalo Hold and Win Extreme, and Ronaldinho Spins, enhancing their gaming experience.
Expanding into Brazil’s iGaming market represents a pivotal achievement for Booming Games, reinforcing its presence across Latin America and strengthening its position as a leading gaming content provider on the continent. Booming Games remains dedicated to delivering high-quality entertainment globally, with this Brazilian expansion highlighting its commitment to serving diverse gaming audiences worldwide.
Frederik Niehusen, Chief Commercial Officer at Booming Games, commented: “We’re excited to have achieved full certification in Brazil, marking an important step in strengthening our presence in this rapidly expanding market. We’re eager to build on this success, driving growth and bringing exceptional gaming experiences to players throughout Brazil. 2025 promises to be an exciting year, and we look forward to sharing more updates soon.”
Award-winning iGaming supplier Delasport has just positioned itself as the most progressive supplier to date by meeting the new Brazilian regulation requirements for Sports Betting and Online Casino. The global technology developer has taken all required measures to comply in terms of certifications, Data vault integration, payment providers, KYC, AML, and much more.
Delasport’s team of over 400 experts worldwide are advancing to deliver its renowned products and services to the Brazilian market. They have partnered with GLI (Gaming Laboratories International) – the leading certification lab approved by the Brazilian Ministry of Finance.
So far, Delasport is fully certified against GLI-33 and GLI-19 – the standards that have inspired regulators in Latin America and likely in Brazil. Additionally, the team is in the process of submitting the platform for certification against Brazilian technical standards. Delasport is also advancing rapidly through data quality testing of its integration with the SIGAP Datavault system.
Key Advantages
Operators that plan on entering the newly regulated Brazilian market will have numerous advantages if they partner with Delasport. They will be able to provide their players with personalization features like My Sportsbook, My Event Builder, My Combo, and My Casino that skyrocket revenues and retention.
Furthermore, Delasport’s KYC and AML provider is a market leader that guarantees the highest level of compliance for all operators that choose to go on this route.
Also, Delasport has already partnered with numerous PIX payment system operators and provides a real-time AI-powered Responsible Gambling system which can easily adapt to local regulations.
Another key advantage is the strong relationship with third-party casino suppliers that will soon be able to provide their exciting portfolios to this thrilling jurisdiction.
Last, but not least, operators will feel Delasport’s support from the get-go all the way to establishing themselves as a market leader. Delasport is knowledgeable of the cultural and regional differences within Brazil and can address all localization needs before they arise.
“Delasport stands on a solid foundation of experience, supplying Tier 1, Tier 2, and Tier 3 operators in highly regulated markets globally”, the company’s CCO Filippo Ferri comments. ‘This makes Delasport fully equipped to assist operators navigating complex platforms or adapting to modern jurisdictional requirements, such as Brazil’s.’
The supplier’s VP of Business Development Rosaire Galea Cavallaro adds: ‘It’s a great privilege to enter such a vast and exciting market with the confidence that we’ve gained at Delasport throughout the years. We’re looking forward to seeing our product in action in a new territory, achieving and maintaining solid margins for our partners, keeping the record of having double digit margins in sports betting and helping them scale with ease in both verticals to generate maximum revenue for their brands.’
ProntoPaga, a leading payment solutions company in Latin America, announces a key transformation in its operating model for the Brazilian market.
By implementing a new model as a Technology Service Provider (TSP), ProntoPaga is setting an important milestone in the evolution of the payments industry in Brazil for the new regulated online betting market, generating a positive impact on transparency and security for operators.
This implementation takes place in a key context for the gambling sector in Brazil, where the market regulation is undergoing modifications. The new legislation, which will take effect on January 1, 2025, aims to increase control over gaming operators’ transactions, a sector that has been affected in previous years by irregular practices and tax fraud. In this scenario, ProntoPaga takes the initiative to operate under a model that ensures operators more security in the administration of their funds.
Operating Model: Payment Facilitator without Money Handling
Under the TSP structure, ProntoPaga does not manage funds in their own accounts in Brazil, instead, operator’s funds will always be in bank accounts in their own names. These accounts are opened in 3 banks, with mandates that allow these openings to be frictionless. ProntoPaga will act as a facilitator, providing its technology to process transactions securely, efficiently, and without risk.
Technology for Zero-Risk, Maximum Transparency Transactions
With a robust technological infrastructure, ProntoPaga is responsible for “routing” transactions intelligently from the operators’ accounts to banking entities, completing transactions without directly accessing the operator’s funds. This process offers operators a transparent, secure, and risk-free experience in the Brazilian market, since their funds are always intact and not mixed in bank accounts with other operator’s funds.
Trust in an Evolving Market
ProntoPaga’s adoption of the TSP model in Brazil responds to the need to adapt to a more regulated Brazilian market, where bad practices created significant irregularities. Before the new legislation, cases of tax fraud and other offenses tarnished the reputation of certain PSPs, leaving operators and clients exposed to unnecessary risks. This migration to a TSP model guarantees a clear separation between operators’ finances and payment processing, ensuring strict regulatory compliance and eliminating any risk associated with fund management. ProntoPaga will continue strengthening its presence in the region, providing cutting-edge technology that supports the evolution of payment markets and financial regulation.
Certifications and Regulations
ProntoPaga holds international certifications that guarantee the security, transparency, and reliability of its operations. Among these are PCI DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard) and ISO 27001 certifications, which validate and ensure that transactions are protected against fraud and cybersecurity threats. The company also holds certifications related to compliance and anti-money laundering (AML) and other regulations that govern and support the regulatory compliance of its operations in the countries where it operates. This is essential to provide security to its clients and partners, especially in markets with strict regulations like Brazil. These certifications, in addition to its advanced encryption and authentication technologies, reinforce its commitment to integrity and trust in each transaction in the markets where it operates.
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