Brazilian Finance Ministry blocks access to betting for 2,8 million beneficiaries of Bolsa Família and BPC programs.
The Ministry of Finance has blocked access to online sports betting platforms, known as "bets," for 2,8 million beneficiaries of the Bolsa Família and the Continuous Benefit Payment (BPC) programs. This number represents 10,4% of the total beneficiaries of the two social programs and 11,2% of the 25 million Brazilians who attempted to gamble at least once in 2025, according to a survey by the ministry.
The measure was adopted to comply with a ruling by the Supreme Federal Court (STF), which prohibited the use of social program funds for gambling, according to reporting by Folha de São Paulo. All 27 million beneficiaries of Bolsa Família and BPC are prohibited from registering on the platforms, but only the 2,8 million who already had accounts had their access effectively revoked. Betting companies are required to conduct bi-weekly checks on their user databases.
The control is done through Sigap (Serpro's Betting Management System), which allows operators to check, via CPF (Brazilian taxpayer ID), whether a user is a beneficiary of social programs. "During the verification, it is objectively indicated whether or not the user is a beneficiary of social programs, with 'ineligible' or 'not ineligible'," the Treasury Department informs in a statement.
Other prohibited categories
In addition to beneficiaries of social programs, the law prohibits betting for other categories: public officials working in the sector, professional athletes, referees, sports managers, inspectors and technicians, and people diagnosed with gambling addiction. For these groups, however, there is no automatic blocking system; the ban works through self-declaration.
More than 925 people have voluntarily registered on the self-exclusion platform of the Prizes and Betting Secretariat (SPA), linked to the Treasury. This mechanism allows any citizen to restrict their own access to all betting sites authorized by the secretariat, for a period determined by the applicant or indefinitely. In the latter option, the interested party can only review the decision after 12 months. Some of those registered may never have placed a bet, as there were recommendations to register in order to prevent the misuse of their CPF (Brazilian taxpayer identification number) by third parties.
Gap in clandestine platforms
Industry entities point to a significant loophole in the model; the blocks do not reach clandestine websites that operate without a license from SPA and outside the self-exclusion system. These platforms do not follow advertising conduct rules, do not pay the R$ 30 million fee required by the government, and do not collect taxes.
To access the self-exclusion platform, citizens must log in to the SPA page on the Gov.br portal with a silver or gold level account, the system's highest security standards. The silver level requires validation via internet banking or a national driver's license (CNH); the gold level uses facial biometrics validated by the Superior Electoral Court (TSE) or a CNH. Then, the applicant fills out the request, indicates the reason and period of the block, accepts the terms of use, and acknowledges that they will not be able to access authorized platforms or receive targeted advertising during the restriction period.
