Brazil sets out how to seize one billion reais from betting
More than 1 billion reais, approximately 193 million dollars, are blocked due to illegal gambling operations in Brazil, and until now there was no clear administrative path to confiscate them. Ordinance 1.287/2026 from the Ministry of Justice and Public Security, the MJSP, created one. It was signed on Wednesday, September 2nd, by Minister Wellington César Lima e Silva and is already in effect.
The file is now in the hands of Senasp, the National Public Security Secretariat, and within it, the general directorate that administers the National Public Security Fund, the DGFNSP. This department will receive documentation from the Secretariat of Prizes and Betting of the Ministry of Finance, analyze each case, and issue an initial decision.
The procedure has built-in guarantees. At least three officials make up the committee that reviews the evidence and drafts a report. Then, deadlines run: fifteen days for the affected party to respond and ten more to appeal to the head of the ministry. Cases where confiscation is deemed appropriate are passed to the AGU, which will evaluate the legal measures to be taken. An important point is that the administrative decision does not automatically transfer the money to the Union; a judge's ruling is required.
The destination of these funds is what explains the Ministry's interest. Chico Lucas, National Secretary of Public Security, stated that this money would serve to increase the fund and allow states and the Federal District to invest more in infrastructure, technology, and operational capacity. Camila Pintarelli, director of fund management, emphasized another aspect: that the regulation provides legal certainty and enables resources derived from illegal gambling to finance prevention, care, and protection.
Once a judicial ruling incorporates them into the Union's assets, the funds are registered and supervised by this general directorate. Senasp will define how they are applied according to budgetary rules and its own planning, and will prioritize, where possible, transferring funds from the fund to the states and the Federal District. Monitoring is not limited to what has already been confiscated: it also covers what is blocked and what is under judicial review, with reports and management indicators.
The regulation also provides for what to do if the analysis uncovers something else. Any indication of other illegal activities must be communicated to the appropriate authority. If crimes appear, the case goes to the Public Prosecutor's Office and the police; if what emerges concerns tax credits, the file is forwarded to the Attorney General's Office and the Internal Revenue Service.
Tags: Ordinance 1.287/2026, Senasp, Wellington César Lima e Silva, Chico Lucas, Camila Pintarelli