Brazil suspends betting licenses of three operators, court reinstates Pixbet following document dispute

Brazil's Secretariat of Prizes and Betting (SPA) of the Ministry of Finance has suspended the provisional authorizations of three betting operators for non-compliance with technical certification requirements, while a federal court has overturned the suspension of a fourth company, Pixbet Soluções Tecnológicas, after determining it had fulfilled all necessary documentation obligations.

On April 11, the SPA issued Ordinance No. 787 suspending the provisional licenses of four companies: Pixbet Soluções Tecnológicas, Caixa Loterias, TQJ-Par (Grupo Silvio Santos), and 7MBR LTDA (Cbet). 

The companies were accused of failing to submit certified technical documents, including operational betting systems, Remote Gaming Server (RGS) certifications, and integration protocols, by the deadline set out under Ordinance SPA/MF No. 2.104 of December 2024.

The suspension order gave the companies 90 days to provide the missing documents or face permanent revocation of their provisional licenses. During this period, operators were barred from accepting new bets but were allowed to maintain platform access for users to withdraw funds.

Among the four, Pixbet, which operates popular brands such as Pixbet, Flabet, and Bet da Sorte, immediately challenged the decision in court. The company argued it had submitted all required documents, including an integration certificate that was filed one day after the deadline. It maintained that the delay was minor and non-prejudicial.

The court ruled in Pixbet's favor, stating that the suspension was unwarranted given the company’s compliance with all substantive technical obligations. The decision emphasized that the goal of the ordinance was to safeguard operational and technical integrity, not to impose disproportionate penalties for marginal procedural delays. 

The judge further noted potential financial consequences stemming from the suspension, particularly referencing Pixbet’s sponsorship agreements with major Brazilian sports institutions such as Flamengo.

With the court's injunction, Pixbet’s license was reinstated, allowing it to resume operations while maintaining its provisional authorization status. The SPA is expected to formalize the reinstatement through a new ordinance.

Meanwhile, the suspensions remain in effect for the three other operators: Caixa Loterias, a subsidiary of the state-owned Caixa Econômica Federal, managing brands including Betcaixa and Megabet; TQJ-Par, affiliated with Grupo Silvio Santos and responsible for Baú Bingo and Tele Sena Bet; and 7MBR LTDA, the operator behind the Cbet platform.

Each of these companies must now submit the outstanding certifications within the 90-day suspension period or risk having their license applications permanently archived. SPA regulations allow for a one-time 30-day extension upon justification from a certified testing body, but no further extensions will be permitted beyond that.

Ordinance No. 300, which came into force in February, mandates that all operators submit certified documentation confirming system readiness, with compliance deadlines tied to their provisional licensing status.