Here we take a look at the gambling industry in Brazil. We will analyze the best online casinos available to Brazilians and examine the gambling industry in the country as a whole. On this page, you’ll learn about the gambling sector’s legality and its regulations. We’ll also mention methods of choosing a good and reliable casino. Do not forget to analyze the most popular and convenient payment methods that allow you to deposit to online casinos in Brazil. And also discuss the bonuses offered by online casinos to new and regular players.
We will examine the situation with betting on sports in Brazil and other forms of gambling. And be sure to touch on the regulation of cryptocurrencies and the reliability of online casinos.
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Gambling became popular in Brazil a long time ago, even despite the adverse reaction of the government to it.
In 1892, a zoo owner began printing the image of one of the 25 animals on his tickets. He did this to draw attention to his zoo. By the end of the day, the picture was taken down, and the owners of those tickets, on which the animal coincided with the animal in the picture, won.
In the 20s-30s of the 20th century, Brazil was a country with well-developed gambling industry. There were numerous gambling houses in Rio, most of which were of the premium class.
The industry flourished until 1946, when President Euryku Gaspar Dutra imposed a total ban on gambling activities. Such forms of gambling entertainment as horse racing and poker escaped the ban, as the latter was considered a game of skill rather than luck.
Also, bingo was legal until 2004, and in 1969 the first state lotteries appeared, which began to be controlled by the Ministry of Finance.
Recent history of gambling
Such restrictions lasted until the era of the Internet. Once the Internet began to spread rapidly in Brazil, more and more offices began to appear, offering sports betting and various online casinos for Brazilians. Such trends lasted until 2014 when the government signed the “Internet law” and criminalized those companies based in Brazil that provide such services. This caused the migration of such services to offshore zones and the growing popularity of foreign online casinos and betting shops.
A pivotal moment for sports fans was 2018. This year, the government completely legalized sports betting, making it much easier for players to deal with bookmakers. In 2020, the federal government allowed states to offer various lotteries locally, creating domestic competition and positively affecting the industry.
Legality and regulation of gambling
As already mentioned, sports betting and various lotteries are now entirely legal. Another pleasant moment is the complete legalization of poker, including online poker, since this game is not considered to be a gambling one.
The situation is more complicated in the case of online casinos. Their operation is prohibited in Brazil, but Brazilians can play at offshore online casinos.
Lotteries are regulated by the Ministry of Finance and, more recently, by local state regulators, who can create their own lotteries.
Since 2018, the licensing of betting shops is handled by the government. For their legal business, they are obliged to give 3% of their income as taxes.
Choosing the best online casinos in Brazil
To choose a top-quality casino, you need to spend some time. Each online casino in Brazil has some important points to consider. First and foremost is the presence of licenses, level of security, and competent customer service. Also, a significant issue is reading user reviews, as it’s a great way to understand players’ feelings about the casino.
Then it would be best to read about the bonus policy and current promotions, which allow you to get extra money to play.
And of course, do not forget about the availability of convenient payment systems and adaptation for mobile devices. Next, we would like to take a closer look at each aspect.
Legality and Safety
The best online casinos in Brazil will always have a valid license. Since Brazil has no state gambling regulators, it is worth paying attention to international ones. The most reputable include commissions of countries such as Curaçao, Malta (MGA), the UK (UKGC), Gibraltar (GGC), Alderney (AGGC) and some others.
User Feedback
We always carefully read the reviews from players on forums and thematic sites. Without it, it is challenging to make a real picture of the casino. An important aspect is the speed of dispute resolution. If the online casino walks toward players and quickly resolves disputes, we give it a reasonably high score in our rating.
Bonuses & Promotions
There are numerous online casinos on the Brazilian market. As a result, each of them has its bonus policy. So, you should always find out about it before registering and making a deposit to get the best conditions. We have already done all these steps for you. The best casinos with the most generous bonuses are presented at the beginning of the article.
Payment Systems
The convenience of making a deposit is an important parameter we take into account when evaluating the casino. In addition to using bank cards, a friendly online casino should accept deposits from e-wallets and special services for online transfers. Also, a good addition is a possibility of depositing with cryptocurrencies.
Customer Service
The best online casinos always have 24-hour support. You can get in touch with it via email and online chat. A friendly support service will always help you find the information you are interested in and solve your problem.
Mobile Adaptation
It’s no secret that we live in the age of mobile technology. As a result, most gamblers play at online casinos from mobile devices. Therefore, good casinos are always perfectly adapted for mobile devices.
Bonuses and promotions for Brazilians
A wide variety of bonuses are available for players from Brazil. These include welcome bonuses on first deposits and various regular rewards and rating systems. The races and tournaments held by the casino and various providers are worth a special mention. Next, we’ll break down the main types of bonuses in more detail.
Welcome Bonus
This type of bonus is available for new players who have just registered. It represents a % boost to the deposit. This bonus can reach up to 500% of your deposit in some gambling clubs. The welcome bonus is often a combination of 2 types of gifts. You get % of your deposit and a number of free spins.
Regular Player Bonuses
Special rewards, various cashback systems and reload bonuses are available for regular players. Peculiar rewards mean various promotions that add funds to a deposit or award free spins. Reload bonuses are rewards which are issued to players once a week.
Moreover, most online casinos have a unique rating system. With this system, you get points for each bet. The bigger the bet, the more points you earn and the higher your level. Each level provides some rewards: from free spins to an instant cash award.
Races and Tournaments
Another nice thing is special tournaments and races. Such events are held both by the casinos and various providers. Generally, their structure is as follows:
You are joining the tournament. Usually, you have to click the appropriate button in the tournaments section to do this.
You play slots from the tournament list and get points for each quest you complete.
The challenge can be to get the maximum multiplier or to complete a quest in one of the slots. Besides, some providers, such as Pragmatic Play, hold tournaments in which points are awarded for the most continuous series of winning/losing spins.
Sports betting in Brazil
As of 2018, sports betting in Brazil has become legal, even though this law is not yet in full force. The national government took over licensing. As a result, numerous reliable betting shops appeared in the country on the wave of legalization. The most frequently visited are 888, VBet, Betfair, 20Bet and SportsBet.
Popular sports betting
Some of the most popular sports in Brazil are:
Football. A sport that rightfully takes a leading position not only in Brazil but all over the world. Brazilian professional players are considered some of the best in the world, as is the Brazilian national team. This game level is possible only with a high level of soccer development in the country.
Volleyball. Because of its maritime location, Brazil has many beaches. Where there are beaches, there are also volleyball courts, where many people play with enthusiasm. Thus, the incredible popularity of the sport.
Basketball. A sport in which Brazil excels on a par with soccer. The national team has won six medals at world championships, two of which were gold. Consequently, Brazilians are considered a strong nation in basketball, which is why this sport is trendy in the country.
Formula 1. Brazil has two popular tracks for this type of racing. These are Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo. Races of professional racers are actively shown on TV, so this sport has been growing in popularity lately.
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. After the Gracie brothers founded a new type of martial arts, the sport began to gain rapid popularity in Brazil. In the 1990s, the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu league was formed, and world champions of UFC emerged from it, making this fighting school famous globally.
Convenient payment systems
Now we would like to discuss the most popular and convenient methods of online casino deposits for Brazilians. In the country, there are both classic deposits via bank cards and various electronic wallets. The latter is probably even more common due to the fact that about 30% of the Brazilian population does not have bank accounts and cards.
Cryptocurrencies
Due to the positive attitude of the authorities towards cryptocurrency, Brazilians are large holders of this asset. As a result, it’s easy to buy or sell cryptocurrency in the country and use it to make deposits at online casinos. Moreover, transactions take a few minutes, and commissions are minimal, not more than a couple of dollars.
PIX
PIX is a convenient and modern payment processing mechanism of the central bank of Brazil. It is an electronic payment system that uses various data to identify people, such as IDs, emails, and cell phones. Thus, transactions are almost instant and do not require high fees. This method is accepted by most of the offshore online casinos available to players from Brazil.
Vcreditos
Brazilian analogue of the well-known purse Neteller. Allows you to easily make deposits in the casino, as well as withdraw funds. In order to begin to use it, you must create an account and bind your bank account/card to it. If necessary, you can also link Vcreditos and Neteller.
Boleto
Boleto is a popular electronic wallet actively used by gamblers and people without bank cards. After creating an account, you can fund it in one of 48 thousand ATMs in the country and special machines. This way of payment takes about 15% of the market. It became possible due to reliability (controlled by the Brazilian Federation of Banks) and a high level of convenience.
BITZ
They are also known as Bradesco. A payment solution designed specifically for Brazilians who do not have bank cards. As with the previous e-wallet, the registration and deposit process is quite simple. Once completed, you can both make purchases online and deposit funds into an online casino or bookmaker’s account.
NOTIFY
Recently, a bill to completely legalize cryptocurrency and equate it to cash came up for a vote in the Senate. This is a very important point because it will allow soon not only to use cryptocurrency for deposits in Brazilian casinos but also to pay for it in stores and even to buy houses.
Popular gambling providers in Brazil
Brazil is a rapidly developing country that actively follows many global trends. That is why the best providers, which have successfully proven themselves worldwide, are popular here. Below you will find the vendors currently in demand among gamblers from Brazil.
Pragmatic Play
Any player who has played at least once at an online casino knows this provider. It is the hybrid of creative ideas and excellent quality of execution that helped the company to take the leading position all over the world, and in Brazil in particular.
Play’N’Go
Another major market player, operating since 1997. This colossal experience in the development of slots helped the provider to understand the market trends clearly and, in many ways, set them. As a consequence, this, as well as its excellent visual components and exemplary sound design, helped it to earn high popularity in such countries as Brazil.
Evolution Gaming
Many players love games with live dealers. And this includes not only table and card games. We are talking about special game shows like Crazy Time, the gameplay of which is highly eventful and can bring big winnings.
Red Tiger
This is a relatively new player on the market, which in the shortest time could gain the popularity of gamblers and even become part of the largest holding of Evolution Gaming. Distinguished by a special style of slots and recognizable interface, and also by many interesting and varied mechanics.
NetEnt
The oldest Swedish provider, creating games of various trends. Its arsenal of over 250 slots, 50 card games and many live games. A good addition to its collection are also branded slots, which are so loved by Brazilians.
Land-based casinos in Brazil
Currently, there are no land-based casinos in Brazil. Fans of such activities will have to travel to neighboring countries where gambling is allowed.
Lotteries and other forms of gambling in Brazil
Lotteries are a prevalent form of gambling entertainment in Brazil. The largest is the Mega Sena, which Caixa Econômica Federal Bank runs.
The lottery is organized twice a week: every Wednesday and Saturday. To start the game, you must select from 6 to 15 numbers between 01 and 60. The value of the ticket depends on the amount of chosen numbers:
Six numbers make up just 1 winning combination, so a ticket costs R$2.00.
Fifteen numbers make 5005 winning combinations, so the ticket will cost you R$10010.
A player wins if 4, 5 or 6 of their chosen numbers match the ones in the raffle. The prize pool is distributed as follows:
Those who guessed 6 numbers will receive 35% of the total fund.
If 5 and 4 numbers match, 19% of the prize pool is paid.
Every 5 “special” draw goes 22% of the total fund.
For the special New Year’s draw Mega Da Virada goes 5%.
Types of lotteries
A special New Year’s Eve lottery draw is held on December 31st each year. It has the largest jackpot of any lottery in Brazil, exceeding R$ 263,000,000.
Another popular lottery is Lotofácil, with a ticket price of BRL 3.75. Drawings are held every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 20:00 local time. After purchasing a ticket, players select 15 numbers from a range of 1 to 25, and it is possible to choose all 25 digits, thus making a total of 3080 bets.
There is no guaranteed minimum jackpot. Instead, a progressive jackpot increases with the total number of tickets sold. Also, if the jackpot is not won, it moves on to the next draw, which ultimately results in huge amounts of money.
The biggest jackpot ever is the raffle of September 6, 2019, in which 33 winners shared BRL 99,487,428.
We’ve put together a clear table with the odds of winning for you.
Category
Number of matches
Probability (for a single bet)
1
15
1 of 3,268,760
2
14
1 of 21,791
3
13
1 of 691
4
12
1 of 59
5
11
1 of 11
Poker in Brazil
Another extremely popular form of gambling entertainment is poker. In Brazil, poker is not a game of chance but skill or even an “intellectual game”. As a result, professional poker players are equal to professional athletes and pay the same taxes as, for example, soccer players.
Therefore, there is complete legality associated with both offline and online poker. The only restriction is the ban on playing in public places. And it doesn’t matter if you play in a gaming club or from your phone on the bus. You can get a hefty fine for such a thing.
But in all other respects, Brazil remains an innovative country for poker players, which is a positive example for other countries.
Reliability and safety of online casinos in Brazil
Since online casinos are banned in Brazil, the country does not have its own licenses or gambling commissions. As a result, Brazilians are left to play at offshore online casinos.
But even then, they can expect fair play and resolution of controversial issues, as the best foreign casinos operate under prestigious licenses. Among the most reputable licenses are Curaçao, MGA, UKGC, AGCC and many others.
In case the casino has violated the rules of the license or dealt unfairly with you, you can contact the commission which issued this casino license. You can do this by going to the commission’s website and writing to the appropriate email address.
Within a few weeks, you’ll get a reply. If the casino violated the rules of the license or cheated you, the commission will require to resolve the dispute in your favor.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Brazil is ready to jump in terms of the gambling industry’s development.
After a long period of stagnation, important bills have been passed recently, allowing sports betting and completely legalizing disciplines such as poker. We should not forget about the debates on the legalization of cryptocurrencies, which will be a significant boost to the economy in general and the gambling industry in particular.
Nevertheless, even now, the online gambling market is well-developed. In Brazil, there are various foreign online casinos and their own bookmaker shops, accepting bets on sports and state lotteries.
Online poker is worth mentioning as it is not only prevalent but also completely legal. This allows players to enjoy the game and the government to receive additional taxes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it possible to play online casinos in Brazil?
There is a restriction on online casinos in Brazil, but there is no ban on playing in foreign casinos. As a result, Brazilians have no problem playing at offshore casinos with a global name and relevant license.
What is the situation with online poker in Brazil?
Poker is entirely legal in Brazil, both offline and online. Consequently, various major poker rooms such as PokerStars, GGPokerok, 888Poker, PartyPoker and others are available to Brazilians.
Are there lotteries in Brazil?
There are many state lotteries in the country, with Mega Sena being the largest.
Are there land-based casinos in Brazil?
Unfortunately, there are no land-based casinos in Brazil, but fans of gambling can go to neighboring Uruguay or Argentina.
What is the status of cryptocurrencies in Brazil?
Recently, the Senate began a debate about the total legalization of cryptocurrencies and the recognition of them as a means of payment.
