New Desenrola's betting site blocking comes into effect in Brazil
Regulated fixed-odds betting sites in Brazil have begun to prevent individuals who join Novo Desenrola Brasil from registering and using their platforms. Novo Desenrola Brasil is the extraordinary financial rebalancing program for families created by the federal government to renegotiate debts for low-income populations. The block is applied automatically based on data cross-referencing between banks, Banco do Brasil, and the Secretaria de Prêmios e Apostas (SPA), and remains in effect for twelve months from the date of joining the program.
The measure was materialized through SPA/MF Normative Instruction Nº 3, of May 5, 2026, which regulates the procedures that fixed-odds betting operators must observe to identify program beneficiaries and block their access. The norm is based on Provisional Measure nº 1,355, of May 4, 2026, which conditioned debt renegotiation on the beneficiary's express authorization for their CPF to be included in a blocked persons module managed by the SPA itself.
The operational flow defined by the regulator establishes that participating financial institutions send the data of adherents to Banco do Brasil, which centralizes the information and forwards it to the SPA for loading into Sigap, the Betting Management System. From that moment on, all authorized sportsbooks must consult the blocked persons module before accepting a new registration or processing a bet, and apply the blocking status provided for by the norm for CPFs identified as beneficiaries of Novo Desenrola.
The licensed sector had previously expressed its reservations regarding the design of the automatic block, particularly due to the operational burden involved in integrating with government systems, the reputational risks arising from potential errors in identifying bettors, and the asymmetry created compared to illegal sites, which continue to operate outside the regulatory framework. Nevertheless, the main authorized operators confirmed that they have already activated the necessary internal processes to comply with the new requirement from the effective date.
For the Brazilian government, the connection between debt renegotiation and blocking access to betting seeks to address one of the most visible concerns in public debate in recent years, linked to the impact of online gambling on the indebtedness of low-income families. The Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry into bets, the bills under discussion in Congress, and social pressure on the sector create a scenario in which the SPA sought to provide a concrete response without altering the general architecture of the regulated market.
From a Latin American perspective, the Brazilian model provides a particular reference for countries advancing their own regulatory frameworks, such as Chile, Peru, Colombia, Argentina, and Ecuador. The integration between public policies for financial protection and responsible gambling mechanisms, as well as the use of centralized databases to prevent access for vulnerable populations, are tools that will likely be evaluated by other regulators in the region as the sector continues its formalization process.
Tags: Regulation, Brazil, New Desenrola, SPA, Responsible Gaming