January 21, 2025 3 min read

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SPA Head Warns Selective Tax Could Be of Bad Omen in Brazil

Regis Dudena, head of the Secretariat of Prizes and Bets in Brazil, has raised concerns about the proposed selective tax that would target industries deemed harmful, including gambling

At the start of the year, Brazil’s government announced a series of decisive measures and fresh gambling rules that would regulate the gambling sector and put an end to black market operations

As explained by the head of the Secretariat of Prizes and Bets (SPA) under the Ministry of Finance, Regis Dudena, the new framework would offer the regulator a tool to crack down on unlicensed entities while attracting more consumers to regulated offerings.

Now, Dudena is voicing concerns over the introduction of a selective tax, often referred to as the “sin tax,” which would target industries deemed harmful, including gambling. 

The Sin Tax to Go Into Effect in 2026

The tax, part of Brazil’s Complementary Law Project PL 68/2024, was approved in December 2024 and will take effect in 2026

While the precise impact that it will have on the gambling industry is yet to be seen, the potential repercussions have, as expected, spurred discussions.

Speaking during a panel session at ICE, SPA’s president highlighted the complexities the tax reform might bring to the country’s newly regulated gambling market, officially launched on January 1, 2025

He noted that while the tax system is being restructured to simplify existing policies, the inclusion of the selective tax could present significant challenges for the industry.

Dudena explained that the “so to say, bad news for the industry is with this simplification of the tax policy,” the resulting selective tax “associated with things like alcohol and gambling” is likely to attract “more” in the future. 

The sin tax would apply to various items, including alcoholic beverages, cigarettes, and betting in brick-and-mortar and online venues along with fantasy sports betting.

In July 2024, the Chamber of Deputies’ working group on tax reform introduced a number of updates to the selective tax, adding two new categories of products and services

The deputies recommended the list should include electric vehicles, sports betting, fantasy games, and lotteries.

Fears of Retroactive Taxation 

One of the main concerns triggered by the new tax would be the matter of retroactive taxation

Namely, it is speculated that the government might consider backdating the tax to 2018, which is the same year when sports betting received the green light from the National Congress

As expected, the idea of a retroactive tax would raise a series of questions regarding the financial burden that operators that have recently entered the market would have to endure.

Dudena further emphasized the importance of evaluating the tax’s impact on the regulated market, explaining the challenge will begin with first dealing with the past “for the state to deal with tax that needed to be paid and wasn’t,” followed by an assessment of the impact on regulation. 

Next, congress and the government will be handed “some kind of feedback” to determine whether the system “that we have there was good enough to make this industry grow healthily and sustainably.”

As of 2025, Brazil’s regulated gambling industry counted 66 operators that were given the green light with a 12.5% GGR tax rate addressing license holders

Big operators, including Superbet, BetMGM, Betsson, and bet365 have already secured licenses. 

In December, the SPA announced the granting of full authorizations to 71 businesses applying for federal online gambling licenses.

After finishing her master's in publishing and writing, Melanie began her career as an online editor for a large gaming blog and has now transitioned over towards the iGaming industry. She helps to ensure that our news pieces are written to the highest standard possible under the guidance of senior management.

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