Brazil’s Secretariat of Prizes and Bets has published comprehensive new details outlining the mandatory requirements for gambling operators regarding the implementation of the country’s national self-exclusion scheme.
The establishment of a robust self-exclusion system has been a critical priority for the Ministry of Finance, forming a key pillar of its regulatory roadmap for the soon-to-be-regulated Brazilian online gambling market.
An ordinance released on Monday, November 10, clearly establishes the central role of Brazil’s Betting Management System (SIGAP) within the new self-exclusion framework. According to the published rules, gambling operators are now required to perform mandatory SIGAP queries on two primary occasions: whenever a user registers a new account, and crucially, every time a user logs in for the first time during any given day.
Furthermore, to maintain continuous oversight, operators must perform these SIGAP queries at least once every 15 days for all registered users to consistently identify players who may have initiated a self-exclusion request.
Should the SIGAP system inform an operator that a player has self-excluded upon their first daily login, the operator is legally mandated to block any further betting activity and proceed to close all accounts associated with that player’s name within a strict three-day window following the query. Before finalising the account closure, operators must notify the user of the precise reason for the action via email, SMS, or messaging application within one day of the query.
The notification must explicitly inform the user of their right to withdraw any remaining funds held in their account. The ordinance also specifies that if these funds are not transferred or withdrawn by the user within 180 days, the money must be legally transferred to national funds, specifically the Student Financing Fund (FIES) and the National Fund for Public Calamities, Protection and Civil Defense (FUNCAP).
If a self-excluded user has any open bets at the time of the block, the operator is required to cancel these bets and refund all related funds, unless the user has already voluntarily withdrawn them.
Crucially, the ordinance by the Brazil’s Secretariat of Prizes and Bets (SPA) strictly prohibits operators from contacting or directing any advertising or promotional material towards any user who has self-excluded.
