Self-exclusion system in betting is being used for scams, and operators are warning about a new fraud.
Gamblers are using the self-exclusion system created by the Prizes and Betting Secretariat (SPA) of the Ministry of Finance to obtain illicit financial advantages on online betting platforms. The practice was reported to BNLData this Monday (12) by companies in the sector, which identified the fraudulent scheme in operation. This new scam represents an important warning for sports betting operators, who now need to be aware of how the self-exclusion platform launched by the government is being used fraudulently by some users.
The self-exclusion mechanism was launched by SPA on December 10th of last year to protect people with compulsive gambling behavior. However, just one month after its implementation, cases of misuse of the system have already been detected. The Ministry of Finance recorded 153 self-exclusion requests from sports betting platforms in Brazil during the first 20 days of operation of the system, which was implemented at the end of 2025.
A representative case occurred earlier this month. A gambler who maintained a conservative betting pattern during 2024 and 2025, with total losses of just over R$500 in two years, mainly from casino games, enrolled in the SPA-MF self-exclusion program on January 2nd.
The day after registering, the same individual placed bets totaling approximately R$ 5 on various platforms simultaneously, a behavior that was completely out of step with his previous profile and history.
The fraudulent strategy consisted of placing calculated bets on different websites: the bettor would wager on a team's defeat on one platform, on the same team's victory on another, and on a draw on a third. This tactic guaranteed that he would lose on at least two platforms, regardless of the outcome.
After registering losses, the individual contacted the companies' support demanding a refund. He argued that his participation in the self-exclusion program should have prevented the bets from being placed and used his registration in the system as justification for requesting the return of the funds.
CEOs of betting platforms reported this new scam to BNLData, indicating that it is not an isolated case. The companies classify this type of fraud as "clever gamblers targeting the platform," said one of the executives.
This case demonstrates the need for improvements in the protection mechanisms recently implemented. Regulatory authorities now need to adjust the system so that it fulfills its original purpose of protecting vulnerable bettors, preventing loopholes for fraudulent manipulation.
It is worth remembering that the Centralized Self-Exclusion Platform, accessible at gov.br/autoexclusaoapostas , allows citizens to self-block from all betting sites authorized by SPA-MF. According to Regis Dudena, Secretary of Prizes and Betting at MF, authorized operators automatically receive the self-exclusion notice and have up to 72 hours to block users' access to their websites and applications.
The system was developed by the Federal Data Processing Service (Serpro) and offers users the possibility of choosing a self-exclusion period, ranging 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.
