The Prizes and Betting Department clarifies the self-exclusion system for bets following fraud allegations.
The Ministry of Finance's Prize and Betting Secretariat released clarifications regarding the self-exclusion program on betting platforms. The statement, issued this Wednesday (14), informs that there are no records of complaints in the Betting Management System (Sigap) related to possible fraudulent uses of the Centralized Self-Exclusion Platform.
The document explains how the mechanism implemented by Normative Instruction 31/2025 works. When a bettor requests self-exclusion, the system is activated to block further access. The platform operator, upon consulting Sigap on the user's first login attempt after the request, receives information about that person's exclusion.
Betting operators must remove a bettor from their account within 72 hours of the request. The Secretariat emphasizes that the block can occur at any time within this period, without needing to wait for the maximum time limit to implement the restriction.
Validity of bets placed before the freeze.
The Ministry of Finance clarified that bets placed before the self-exclusion process will be considered valid, unless another relevant legal factor exists, regardless of the outcome obtained by the bettor.
However, companies in the sector reported to BNLData last Monday (12) that they identified a fraudulent scheme in operation, where bettors were using the self-exclusion system to obtain illicit financial advantages. This new scam represents an important warning for sports betting operators, who now need to be aware of how the platform launched by the government is being used fraudulently by some users.
Total block after activation.
Once self-exclusion is completed or the maximum period of 72 hours has elapsed, the bettor is completely prevented from placing new bets. The block is complete, preventing even access to the operators' systems, as determined by the regulations established by the Ministry of Finance.
According to Regis Dudena, Secretary of Prizes and Betting at the Ministry of Finance, authorized operators automatically receive the self-exclusion notice and have up to 72 hours to block users' access to their websites and applications.
Cases of system misuse
Despite the absence of official complaints, CEOs of betting platforms reported a new type of scam to BNLData. A representative case occurred earlier this month, when a bettor who maintained a conservative pattern during 2024 and 2025, with total losses of just over R$ 500 in two years, enrolled in the self-exclusion program on January 2nd.
The day after registering, the same individual placed bets totaling approximately R$ 5 on several platforms simultaneously, a behavior that completely deviated from his previous profile. The fraudulent strategy consisted of placing calculated bets on different sites, guaranteeing losses on at least two platforms, and then demanding refunds claiming that his participation in the program should have prevented the bets.
Platform operation
The Centralized Self-Exclusion Platform, accessible at gov.br/autoexclusaoapostas, was developed by the Federal Data Processing Service (Serpro) and allows citizens to self-block from all authorized betting sites. The Ministry of Finance recorded 153 self-exclusion requests during the first 20 days of operation of the system, implemented at the end of 2025.
Users can choose the self-exclusion period, which ranges from one to 12 months, or even indefinitely. Once the period is selected, it is not possible to reverse the decision during the indicated period, except in cases of indefinite self-exclusion, when the user has up to one month to invalidate the decision.
Clarification from SPA-MF
The Secretariat for Prizes and Betting of the Ministry of Finance (SPA-MF) clarifies that, currently, there are no complaints in the Betting Management System (Sigap) involving alleged fraudulent uses by users of the Centralized Self-Exclusion Platform.
Normative Instruction 31/2025 stipulates that, after a user requests self-exclusion, the betting operator's system, upon consulting Sigap on the user's first login attempt, receives information from the Self-Exclusion Platform indicating an impediment for that user.
Betting operators must exclude a bettor within a maximum of 72 hours, although this can be done at any time after the bettor's request. If a bet is placed before the self-exclusion takes effect and there is no other relevant legal factor, it is understood that the bet will be valid, regardless of its outcome. After the self-exclusion takes effect or the maximum period has elapsed, no bets can be placed and the bettor will not even have access to the operators' betting system.
