Brazil Betting Sites

A country synonymous with sporting success, Brazil couldn’t stray too far from betting and gambling throughout centuries. With fantastic football players that shine at the biggest clubs in Europe and a national team that can win the World Cup at any given time; this nation has perfectly combined betting with all sorts of sporting activities. After the end of World War II, the Social Democratic Party decided to ban all forms of gambling besides lotteries and horse racing.

Things did not change much with the appearance of online betting. The authorities made three consecutive attempts to deem it illegal. However, all three were unsuccessful. Nowadays, seeing that there’s not much they can do to prevent Brazilian punters from enjoying their daily wagers; the authorities are in advanced phases of consulting about the legalization of sports betting. 

Best Brazilian Bookmakers

If choosing the best bookie seems pretty hard to you; we gathered up the top bookmakers that accept Brazilian players, provide Boleto and other local payment methods for deposits and offer the Brazilian/Portuguese language.

Sports Betting Brasil - 5 Things to Know

• 1
  The legal gambling age in Brazil is 18 years
• 2
  Horse racing betting at the race tracks is the only allowed form of betting in Brazil
• 3
  Over 32% of Brazilians find online betting to be morally acceptable, according to a recent study by Ipsos
• 4
  Online betting is responsible for 70% of the overall gambling market of Brazil - estimated at around $1 billion
• 5
  The former president signed the Brazil sports betting legislation into law. However, it’s still not clear when the move towards a regulated market will start

General info

⏩Population: 210.147.125

⏩Active Players: 52.536.700

⏩Currency: Brazilian Real (BRL)

⏩Regulated gambling products: Horse racing, lotteries

⏩Designated authority: Caixa Econômica Federal - supervising lotteries and possibly online betting in the future

⏩Operator types: Betting shops within horse racing tracks, international betting sites functioning without a license

⏩Status: Grey market - no licensing system in place, foreign bookmakers are blocked

Online Sports Betting in Brazil

Despite a lot of interest from the population, the legislation about online betting in Brazil is far from being updated. The country is still functioning on laws from the 1940s. Decree Law 3688/1941, which was applied to start in 1946, banned all gambling activities in Brazil except for betting at horse racing tracks and the national lottery.

Since sports betting is not officially allowed, there was no need to establish an agency or authority to regulate the activity in the region. The Caixa Econômica Federal is the supervising body for lotteries, and there’s a strong chance it will extend its authority on online betting as well. It is also worth noting that the Brazilian betting landscape is mostly composed of international bookmakers that accept local punters due to a legal loophole allowing them to do so.

Is Online Betting in Brazil Legal?

In December 2018, President Michel Temer signed Provisional Measure 846/2018, which is mainly focused on revising the distribution of the country’s monopolist lottery. Prior to that, there were several legislative mentions - such as the Congress Bill 442/1991, the Senate Bill 186/2014 and the new Tourism Bill - towards authorizing online and land-based sports betting.

Immediately after the Provisional Measure was signed, there was a movement from big bookmakers preparing for a fresh start in the region. However, despite the matter being put on public debate until the 31st of August 2019 with very good results, there is still no new news on the final form of this law.

What we know so far is that the legal gambling age will remain at 18 years, and there will be taxing on the punters’ side as well; just like they do now with the lottery - wins over BRL 1,900 are taxed with a 13.8%.

The new legislation also includes a 1% tax on betting turnover for operators. However, it’s better to wait on the final form to be sure. The National Congress also needs to play its part in the final form of this law to appoint the authority that will be responsible for collecting the taxes and regulating the entire landscape.

How to Deposit at Betting Sites in Brazil

With various attempts from Brazilian authorities to restrict payments towards foreign betting sites, punters have been left without the services of Skrill and Neteller since February 2018. Nevertheless, they still have plenty of local options to go for, like Astropay, Boleto Bancario and Itau.

Astropay is one of the most popular payment options on Brazil betting sites. It offers the possibility to quickly buy prepaid cards online or transfer funds from your bank account. Prepaid cards are available between 40 BRL and 4,000 BRL, and you can pay directly from your bank account with no fees.

When it comes to Astropay betting sites, payments are instant, and withdrawals are possible via Transferência AstroPay Bank - to get your funds in 2 to 5 business days. As for local payment options for sports betting in Brazil, Boleto Bancario scores the highest in punters’ preferences. It’s an optimized bank transfer tool that offers increased safety and can be used both online and offline. You can expect fees between 4 and 8% when depositing.

Even though the payment is not always instant (i.e. up to 24 hours processing time); you have the advantage of also being able to pay with cash at the ATM or the bank office. Moreover, punters should know that Boleto can only be used for deposits as it doesn’t support withdrawals from online bookmakers.

Itau is also enjoying a lot of popularity among Brazilian punters. A bank that has teamed up with Google and Apple to deliver excellent payment options to punters. For the time being, it is only accepted by a few bookmakers, with KTO Brasil being the most characteristic one. However, with such partnerships, we’re sure that it will grow in popularity.

Why Players Prefer International BRL Betting Sites

Even though there are no licensed online betting sites in Brazil, some brands like to consider themselves “local” and closer to Brazilian punters. That’s the case for Betboo, Rivalo and Bumbet. Nonetheless, when comparing them to the best international bookmakers that operate in the Brazilian market; one can easily understand why the latter is light-years ahead.

Despite having a sharp website and plenty of betting markets on offer, Betboo falls short on the diversity chapter. Boasting a bit over 20 sports, this bookmaker can’t compare to international bookies like 22Bet Brazil, which comes with almost 40 different sports and a plethora of international events. When it comes to payments, Betboo offers all the popular methods in Brazil. However, it doesn’t really support international payments as well as 888sport Brasil does.

While Rivalo does its best to offer diversity and good promotions for Brazilian players, it’s no match for huge names in the industry like Bet365 Brasil or Betfair Brasil. It only offers 22 sports to bet on, and the user interface looks rather cramped. Furthermore, its payout in the top 5 football leagues in the world is relatively low compared to the 96% payout offered by Brasil Bet365.

Apart from the fact that it’s not clear straight away that Bumbet offers sports betting since its homepage seems to be more focused on casinos; it does a pretty good job at categorizing the most popular sports. Once again, the major downside of Bumbet, compared to international bookies such as Campobet or Librabet, is the lack of diversity. The bonuses are also considerably lower at Bumbet compared to the aforementioned bookies. For example, you do not even need a Mystake bonus code to claim a reward as high as $500.  

The Future of Online Betting in Brazil

With the new gambling rules already in their final stages, it’s certain that Brazil will soon be opening up its huge market. A final set of public consultations was initiated late in September 2019; with an effective market launch in 2021. And while it’s not certain if this schedule will be respected to the letter, there’s no going back now. Brazil will get an updated framework for online betting that will allow local players to enjoy top-quality brands in the industry.

Gambling in Similar Countries

Brazillian players often choose the Portuguese language to view a betting site when it is not localised to their country. In addition, neighbouring governments can have very different laws and regulations concerning gambling. For these two reasons, it is useful for many locals to look at the gambling scene in both the nearby countries and Portugal:

⏩ Paraguay: has a rich and semi-regulated betting market where players can find both land-based and online gambling. The regulated operators all have physical shops, and there have been no licenses given to local companies. But betting sites in Paraguay offer unrestricted access to licensed and unlicensed bookies.

⏩ Venezuela: has a unique case in South America, as gambling is strictly regulated and monopolised by the government, while online activities are ignored. Though you can find sports betting in a few casinos, the Venezuela betting sites offer players more sports, markets, and promotions. Keep in mind that you might face issues in Venezuela to have the local crypto recognised by international bookies.

⏩ Suriname: Right on the border with Brazil, Suriname is a country that gained independence from the Netherlands in 1975. Since then, it has regulated all its casinos and the bookies that can be found in big cities. The Suriname Sports Betting Sites, however, fall under no regulation and are generally accessible regardless of their background or licenses. 

⏩ Portugal: As part of the EU, the country that gave Brazil its language has regulated gambling both on land and online. Locals can access bookmakers that have a recognised license and, sometimes, local domains. Though the list of Portugal betting sites is rich, there are still some regulations that block international operators.