Brazil – Online Casinos & Gambling Regulations
Brazil is one of the biggest countries in South America. Like many countries in the region, the laws on gambling are fairly strict. Nearly all forms of gambling have been illegal in the country since 1941, with a state law being passed that prohibits all games of chance. While this law has never been updated to include online gambling, it is commonly accepted that this is the case. Though sports betting has now been legalized and there is even one onshore betting company available. The strict gambling laws don’t mean that gambling doesn’t exist in the country. Many international online casinos do operate in the country, though, Brazilians who play there are doing so at their own risk.
Find the Best Brazil Casino Online
The blurred lines concerning the legality of online casinos in Brazil mean that if Brazilian players choose to play, they are going to be doing so completely at their own risk. International online casinos with offshore licenses can operate here, and due to the size of the Brazilian population, there are quite a few sites that target this audience.
Once you manage to find a casino that accepts players from the country, you will need to make sure you do thorough research to guarantee you can trust playing there. These are a few of the important things to consider before you sign up and deposit funds:
- Does the casino allow players from Brazil to open an account?
- What license does this casino have?
- What safety and security features does the casino offer?
- Does the casino work with trusted software developers?
- What gaming options does the operator offer?
- What currencies are accepted at the casino? Do they accept cryptocurrencies?
- Does the casino have a good reputation with players online?
- Are players from Brazil able to take part in bonus offers & promotions?
Spending time researching which casinos are safe to play at can cause a real headache. Here at GoodLuckMate, we have spent hours doing this so that you don’t have to. You can check out our list of top casinos and our other online casino reviews to find safe and secure online casinos that can be played in Brazil. We also provide an in-depth analysis of the gaming options that are offered, as well as providing a run-down of the bonuses and other features.
Gambling Regulation – Criminal Contravention Act
The biggest piece of legislation that affects gambling in Brazil is the Criminal Contravention Act of 1941. This states that the operating of games of chance is strictly prohibited. This bill has never been abolished or updated, though, it is widely accepted in law that this now includes online gambling and casinos. The regulation prohibits all forms of gambling and any games of chance. This includes casinos, poker, and bingo. Many international sites are able to offer these to players in the country though, as the law applies to Brazilian websites.
Players are still at risk of losing money if they gamble at a questionable casino as they are not protected by any sort of law or governing body. It is vital that players do the correct research before signing up to ensure that they do not end up in any sticky situations.
In 2018, the Brazilian government approved a law allowing for fixed-odds sports betting to take place in the country. The law stipulated that players can take part in sports betting providing that the odds were agreed upon before the bet was played.
Localized Online Casinos
Brazil is a huge country and many international casinos recognize that. There is a range of popular sites that do operate within the country and that will allow players to sign up. Many of these operators will allow players in Brazil to claim bonuses there, though, players should check the terms and conditions before they attempt to do so. Portuguese is the primary language spoken in Brazil. There are quite a lot of international casinos that cater to both the Portuguese and Brazilian markets and as such, locals should have few issues finding a casino that speaks in their language.
Currently, there is one fully licensed betting website in the country – Suaposta, originally operated by the Jockey Club in Rio Grande do Sul. In 2019, this betting site was bought by the European company Betsson and has since then been rebranded as such. Here, Brazilian players can enjoy their full service with both the local language, currency and popular local payment methods.
Gambling with the Brazilian Real
While online gambling is technically illegal in Brazil, there are still a few online casinos that will allow players to make a deposit using the local currency, the Brazilian Real. The aforementioned Betsoon provides both deposits and withdrawals in the currency.
Many casinos operating in the country are likely to be international casinos and are more likely to allow players to play using USD, CAD, EUR, and other popular currencies. One option for players based in Brazil is to find casinos that accept cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Litecoin. This is becoming increasingly popular.
Casinos in Brazil
Brazil is one of the most iconic sporting nations in the world so it’s no surprise that sports betting and gambling are extremely popular there. The fact that gambling is illegal, however, means that if players in Brazil want to visit a brick and mortar casino, then they would need to leave the country and head elsewhere.
Of course, going abroad just to spin some reels is a big ask, so many locals turn their attention towards online gambling. Offshore casinos are not licensed in Brazil, and as such, players in the country need to be careful where they gamble. Sports betting is now legal in the country and there is one site, Betsson, that allows players to place sports bets.
If you are gambling at a casino with no license, then there is nothing protecting you or your money and you are often at the behest and the goodwill of the casino. There is a range of regulated sites that operate within the country though, so we recommend that you check out our list of top online casinos in Brazil to find the one that suits you the best.
Dispute resolution – can I get help from a third party?
A gambling license is intended to protect players, and one of its main functions is to provide a mechanism for resolving disputes when they come up. If you have a dispute with a casino, and the casino is being unreasonable, the gambling authority will help you. For many licenses, this means you can contact the gambling authority to get help processing your withdrawals, claiming money the casino has debited from your account, or resolving other disputes that might arise. The likelihood that the gambling authority will help you in ways that are effective, however, depends on the procedures they have in place for this. This is yet another reason why choosing to play at a casino that has a safe license is important.
Getting help directly from the gambling authority is not always necessary, or even an option. A lot of regulators have now enforced third-party dispute resolution. This means casinos must have an agreement with an arbitrator who will look into disputes on the behalf of players from a particular casino. This ensures your dispute will be reviewed by an objective third party. All trusted online casinos have information about arbitration on their websites if they use this option, or they’ll have the contact information for the gambling authority you should consult. However, you should always try to resolve your issues with the casino first, and a lot of casinos have separate email addresses specifically for handling complaints.
Secure payments – can I trust a casino with my money?
If you’re worried about the security of the transactions you’re making at a casino, you should look for a logo with the acronym PCI DSS. This stands for Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard, and this is something the payment industry has created. If you see this logo, it means the casino can be trusted for safe money transactions since they follow all of the rules set by the payment industry. Information about this can also be found in an FAQ section on the casino’s website.
Another thing to look out for in terms of payments is where your money is kept while you play. Some gambling authorities, all of the best ones actually, regulate what the casino can do with your money while they are holding it. Your money shouldn’t go into a general bank account held by the casino; it should go into an account that is strictly for holding player funds. This means that as long as you have the money in your player account, it can’t be spent by the casino. Your deposit will be kept separate from the operating funds of the casino until your player account is empty, which will happen if you make a funds withdrawal or if you lose the money while playing.Fair gaming – do the games give me a fair chance to win?
The best known system tool for ensuring that a casino offers fair games is eCogra; however, there are other providers that also offer these kinds of systems. You want to make sure that the casino is using a certified third-party control system to ensure that the games of chance you’re playing are actually based on chance and not on other types of metrics. Rigged games are ones that have been set up to pay out less than they claim to or ones that give some players a greater chance of winning than others.
The eCogra logo can often be found in the footer of the casino’s website, but not all casinos choose to display it. If you can’t see this logo, go to the FAQs and see if you can find information about random number generators. If there are no FAQs on the site, check out their terms and conditions or contact the casino’s support and ask how they ensure their games are safe.
Encrypted website – how is my information kept safe?
An SSL-encrypted website should be mandatory for any casino, and very few casinos operate without this or similar safe encryption features. Always keep in mind that you are giving the casino quite a bit of sensitive information, including your payment details. When you’re uploading and sending documents to verify your identity, you want to make sure that no unauthorized third-party has access to them. Site security, therefore, doesn’t only include the website itself but also what the casino does on the backend. You should always look into a casino’s data security. You’ll normally find information about this in their terms and conditions and their privacy policy. If in doubt, contact their support and ask for more detailed information.
Most trustworthy casinos have information about site security in the website footer, so simply scroll down and look for the logo of a well-known security system.
Gambling license – can I play at a casino from my country?
The gambling license a casino operates under will have a big impact on your security. Not all licenses are equally safe for players for the simple reason that they are issued by different gambling authorities that work in different ways and have different rules. The rules and regulations may be quite similar, but the way they are enforced is a different story entirely. For example, if a casino doesn’t comply with the regulations, some gambling authorities may just issue a fine while others may revoke the casino’s license outright. How often gambling authorities show up for an unscheduled inspection or control will also vary.
The biggest differences between a safe, high quality gambling license and one that isn’t as good will usually show up in the areas of fair gaming, dispute resolution and the rules and systems for identifying and handling problem gamblers (responsible gambling). If your country of residence has its own gambling authority, playing at casinos that are licensed by them will be the safest option for you. Other international licenses that can be trusted are issued by the Malta Gambling Authority and the Gibraltar Regulatory Authority. Curacao eGaming is getting better at protecting players whereas licenses from Panama and Costa Rica, for instance, are considered less safe. The worst option is obviously a casino with no license whatsoever.
Our casino experts have tried and tested all aspects of each and every casino, so you can feel confident when signing up.
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