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Betting Law 14,790: payments

How to stay compliant and how the financial process works for entering Brazil's new regulated sports betting market.

Bruna Calegari3 min read
Betting Law 14,790: payments

Last year, Brazil recorded 3.19 billion visits to betting platforms, up 75% from the year before. The United Kingdom, previously the largest market, had just 550 million visits over the same period.

This strong growth led Brazil’s Ministry of Economy to start a regulatory process. Under Law 14,790, all sports betting and casino operators have until December 31, 2024, to become compliant.

Regulation: how to get authorized

Foreign betting companies must set up as Brazilian entities (with a CNPJ, the Brazilian company tax ID) and consider the following when applying for a license:

  • Participation in the Regulatory Group.
  • Implementing anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing policies.
  • Promoting responsible gambling practices.
  • Ensuring the integrity of bets.
  • Connecting to Payment Institutions authorized by the Central Bank.
  • Monitoring user transactions and conducting audits.

Required payment accounts

The Ministry established three types of account to prevent funds from leaving the country and to give players confidence that they are betting in a safe, fraud-free environment.

They are:

  • Transactional Account: receives deposits from bettors and pays out winnings; cannot be used for operating expenses.
  • Proprietary Account: for operating expenses and liquidity management.
  • Reserve Account: a minimum guarantee of R$5 million in government bonds to pay out winnings in case of insolvency.

Here is an example of how the accounts are used in the new model the Ministry of Economy requires of betting operators:

Use case with 2 brands

The numbers 1, 2, 3 and 4 in the image refer to the exclusive flows Trio provides to connect deposits and cashouts directly with end customers. See more.

Keep in mind that under the new regulation, betting sites will accept only Pix (Brazil’s instant payment system) and prepaid debit cards, and the mechanism for paying winnings to players will differ from the current one.

That is why having a payments partner that covers compliance, transactions and account integration is essential to get ahead.

A more secure payment system

Compliance mechanisms will be mandatory to operate in line with the rules, as will robust infrastructure. But what exactly are the obligations for betting sites looking to build reliable systems in this new market?

  • Time synchronization: ensure transactions are timestamped accurately.
  • Control programs: manage and monitor how the system operates, with regular audits.
  • Authentication mechanisms: verify user identity and prevent unauthorized access, for example with multifactor authentication.
  • Transaction confirmation: immediate feedback on the status of bettors’ betting activity and financial transactions.
  • Annual reviews: policies reviewed and approved every year through industry reports.

Only Pix for betting

Only digital, instant payment methods such as Pix will be accepted. Other methods, such as credit cards, cash and cryptocurrencies, are not allowed for betting.

But rest assured: Trio is a Payment Institution approved by the Central Bank and offers the infrastructure to process payments via direct Pix, as well as the infrastructure to operate the required accounts.

So if you are looking for a partner to operate in Brazil’s regulated betting market, you know who to talk to. Contact us!