Brazil sets refund and closure deadlines for betting operators

Brazil’s Secretariat of Prizes and Betting (SPA) has published Portaria No. 3.005/2026, setting procedures and deadlines for companies previously authorised to offer betting in Brazil.

The ordinance regulates closure steps, including reporting balances requiring refund, regularising financial and regulatory obligations and updating company records. It does not treat the end of an authorisation as the end of obligations incurred during operation.

A two-stage filing sequence

Companies must report balances through the Betting Management System, or Sigap. The filing must include final balances in bettors’ accounts and amounts held in transactional accounts used to move betting funds.

The relevant balances are those recorded through 23:59 on 5 October. The deadline for sending the information to the SPA is 7 October.

The required data include:

- the company and the brands it used;
- the financial institutions responsible for the accounts;
- each bettor’s CPF and date of birth;
- amounts to be refunded; and
- banking information required to make the refunds.

Operators must also report the date on which they sent financial institutions the information needed to process the payments. The filing therefore covers both the refund amount and a date linked to the payment process. The official notice does not specify a separate deadline for completing the payments or explain how disputed balances will be handled.

Responsibility continues after authorisation ends

The ordinance gives companies until 15 December 2026 to regularise financial and regulatory obligations connected with their period of operation and the transition arising from the termination of their authorisations. That deadline remains subject to specific deadlines set by the SPA.

The end of an authorisation does not discharge obligations incurred while a company was operating. The SPA or other competent authorities may still identify and collect amounts after the closure steps are completed.

Each company must appoint a legal representative to monitor outstanding obligations until they are fully regularised. Companies must also keep their registration and contact information current, with changes to the legal representative, address, telephone number or official email reported to the SPA within 48 hours.

The sequence moves from a balance cut-off on 5 October to Sigap reporting on 7 October, followed by financial and regulatory regularisation through 15 December, subject to specific SPA deadlines. Reporting refund data is therefore one step in the process, not evidence that the payments themselves have been completed.

The official record identifies no further docket or scheduled implementation event beyond those stated deadlines.