SPA/MF is the Secretaria de Prêmios e Apostas of Brazil's Ministério da Fazenda, the federal authority that regulates and licenses fixed-odds betting and online gaming under Law 14.790/2023, with the regulated market live since January 2025.
SPA/MF (Secretaria de Prêmios e Apostas)
TL;DR: SPA/MF is the Secretaria de Prêmios e Apostas of Brazil's Ministério da Fazenda, the federal authority that regulates and licenses fixed-odds betting and online gaming under Law 14.790/2023, with the regulated market live since January 2025.
What it means
Brazil legalised fixed-odds betting (apostas de quota fixa) federally with Law 13.756/2018, but the operating framework was only completed by Law 14.790/2023 and subsequent normative ordinances (Portarias) from the Ministry of Finance through 2024. SPA, the Secretaria de Prêmios e Apostas (often written SPA/MF), is the regulator standing up the regime.
The first round of licences went live on 1 January 2025 after a transitional process where roughly 200+ brands applied, paying a R$30M (~USD 5.5M) one-time grant fee for a five-year licence covering up to three brand skins. Online casino, sportsbook, and fantasy sports are all in scope. Tax is 12% of GGR plus federal corporate tax, with allocations to sports federations, social security, education, and tourism.
How it's implemented
Licensees must use a .bet.br domain, integrate with SPA's monitoring infrastructure (SIGAP system for real-time transactional reporting), enforce KYC with CPF (Cadastro de Pessoas Físicas) and facial recognition / liveness, restrict access for self-excluded players via the national register, and comply with advertising rules from CONAR and SPA itself (no influencer marketing to minors, no during-match TV ads in some windows under proposed rules through 2026).
Payment rails are Brazil-specific: Pix is the dominant deposit method (60 to 80% of volume), with cards, boleto, and limited crypto rails in some operator stacks. Payouts must run through licensed Brazilian financial institutions.
Why it matters for operators
Brazil is the largest single regulated market opened globally in 2025, with estimated 2026 GGR in the USD 4 to 7B range and a population of 215M+ with deep football fandom. Tier-1 international operators (bet365, Betano, Sportingbet, Stake.br, KTO, Betfair) and local champions (Esportes da Sorte, Galera.bet) all hold licences. The market reshaping is dramatic — pre-regulation .com offshore operators serving Brazil are subject to active blocking and payment-rail cut-off.
The strict requirements (R$30M grant, technical integration, CPF verification, .bet.br domain mandate, prohibition on credit-card deposits) create a high floor but also a defensible competitive moat for operators who clear the bar.
Common variations / Key facts
- Law 14.790/2023 enacted 30 December 2023
- Market live: 1 January 2025
- Licence grant: R$30M (~USD 5.5M), 5-year term, up to 3 skins per licence
- Tax: 12% of GGR + corporate tax + designated allocations
- Domain mandate: .bet.br required
- Payment: Pix dominant, credit card deposits prohibited
- KYC: CPF + facial-liveness mandatory pre-deposit
- Self-exclusion: national register, mandatory real-time check
Common mistakes
- Running .com offshore traffic into Brazil after 2025 — payment cut-off and fines
- Allowing credit-card deposits — explicit prohibition
- CPF validation only at registration — re-check on deposit and behaviour change
- Affiliate creative outside CONAR / SPA rules — operator liability
- Underestimating Pix infrastructure work — failed Pix flows kill conversion
See also