Entities in the betting sector have sought support from the federal government in recent weeks. They wanted to convince large technology companies, such as Apple and Google. The goal was to release regulated applications in virtual stores.
The argument presented to the Prizes and Betting Secretariat of the Ministry of Treasury was the following: licensed apps would serve as an effective tool against illegal platforms that operate in the country without authorization.
This is because online stores offer more security when downloading, avoiding apps with viruses. Until now, some betting houses only allowed downloads via the official website — a practice that may change with the new rules.
Major changes announced by Google for betting apps
On Wednesday (18), Google informed advertisers via email that it will update its gambling policy in Brazil. In addition, Google Play now allows betting, gambling and fantasy games apps. However, operators must have a valid license in Brazil to advertise through Google Ads.
Rules for advertising gambling games
According to the new policy, every online gambling advertiser must present a valid Brazilian license issued by the competent authority — as required by the company itself in its gambling policies.
In addition, operators must include a visible and functional link on their official website that leads to the app’s page on the online store, whether Google Play or similar. Advertisers must register in a formal process and provide detailed information about their app.
If they do not meet all the requirements, the system will automatically deny the requests. The update covers four categories: lotteries, horse racing, fixed-odds betting and daily fantasy games. All of them require authorization from the Brazilian authorities.
Until then, Google only authorized horse racing and lottery apps from Caixa Econômica. In other countries, some stores allow casinos and sports betting, as long as they do not use the company’s own payment methods.
From the operators’ point of view, entering official stores represents an additional mechanism against the illegal market. They claim that clandestine websites occupy a significant portion of the sector.