Latest Gambling News: Brazil Senate Seeking Staggered Tax Increase

Catch up on some of the stories our gambling compliance analysts have covered lately, and stay up-to-date on the latest news.

Brazil Senate Seeking Staggered Tax Increase

Bidding to break a legislative deadlock, a key Brazilian senator has heavily amended a closely-watched bill to raise taxes on online betting in order to phase in a more modest increase over a three-year period.

The rapporteur for a government-backed tax bill pending in Brazil’s Senate presented a new version of the legislation on Wednesday (November 26), now proposing to increase the headline tax rate on fixed-odds betting from the current 12 percent to 15 percent of gross revenue in 2026 and 2027, and then to 18 percent in 2028.

As originally proposed last month, Senate Bill PL 5473/2025 would have doubled the tax rate to 24 percent with more immediate effect.

In addition, the updated version of the bill would introduce various measures to bolster enforcement against Brazil’s offshore market for online gambling.

Those measures would include legally obliging internet providers and digital platforms to remove illegal gambling content within 48 hours of notification by Brazil’s federal betting regulator. The Brazilian Central Bank also would be charged with crafting specific regulations to prevent payments for illegal betting via its Pix instant payments network.

While the updated bill was presented on Wednesday to the Senate’s Committee on Economic Affairs, the committee did not move forward with voting on it after one senator requested more time to evaluate the changes.

If approved by the committee, the bill would be deemed approved by the full Senate unless nine or more senators request further scrutiny on the Senate floor. The legislation also would need to be approved by the lower house of Congress, the Chamber of Deputies.

European Regulators Call For Stronger Measures Against Illegal Online Gambling

Regulators from Austria, France, Germany, Italy, Portugal, Spain and Great Britain have issued a joint statement calling for stronger measures against the illegal online gambling sector.

The regulators explained that the borderless nature and speed of technological innovation makes it easier than ever for illegal operators to evade regulatory oversight. This creates significant risk to consumers, as well as endangering public order and harms the activity of legal operators.  

Overall, the regulators reiterated that illegal gambling undermines the entire regulatory framework, which is designed to protect the public interest.

Around this, this joint force has expressed its concern around the increase in advertising of these illegal operators in their individual jurisdictions through digital channels such as social media, video platforms and affiliate networks.

The regulators explained that this form of advertising not only violates national laws but also exposes citizens, including minors and vulnerable individuals, to the illegal gambling sector.

To combat these kinds of activities, the coalition of regulators has committed to sharing information about these illegal operators among themselves.

They will also call on digital platforms and social media networks to strengthen their controls on the advertising displayed on their platforms.

Lastly, the regulators have committed to sharing knowledge and best practices in identifying, investigating and sanctioning operators that are operating outside of the law.

The seven regulators concluded that this statement “marks a renewed and united commitment by our jurisdictions to strengthen the integrity of the regulated gambling sector and to protect citizens from the risks posed by illegal gambling activities”.

Colorado Approves iLottery Regulations

The Colorado Lottery Commission has approved new regulations to establish an iLottery program, more clearly regulate lottery couriers, and also allow for lottery tickets to be purchased using a credit card.

The proposed rules approved on Wednesday (November 19) expressly allow the Colorado Lottery to sell a range of lottery games via the internet or a mobile app, including e-instant games.

Elsewhere, lottery retailers would have to receive authorization from the commission to do business with lottery couriers such as Jackpocket, and those couriers would have to meet a range of conditions related to advertising, KYC, and geolocation, among others.

The new rules were approved despite opposition from retailer groups and a group of Colorado state lawmakers that sent a letter to the commission seeking oversight of the changes.

Colorado House finance committee chair William Lindstedt told CBS News in Denver that lawmakers “could decide to make legislative changes” during the 2026 session to block the new rules.

But a spokesperson for Governor Jared Polis said the Democratic governor supported the initiative in order to “modernize Colorado’s lottery system."

According to Vixio research, Colorado would become the 14th iLottery jurisdiction in the U.S. assuming the new regulations are fully implemented. Kansas launched its iLottery program earlier this year, with the Massachusetts Lottery also in the process of implementing iLottery as approved by a 2024 budget law.

UAE Lottery Operator Momentum Snares First Online Gaming Licence

The first online gaming and sports betting licence or licences for the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has been awarded to a subsidiary of UAE-based Momentum Group, operator of the national lottery.

The Play971 website (play971.ae) operated by the subsidiary recently had a soft launch, claiming in English and Arabic that it is the “first fully licensed and regulated iGaming site in the UAE, authorized by the General Commercial Gaming Regulatory Authority (GCGRA)”.

Play971 is operated by the same company that runs The UAE Lottery, and it and its parent companies are “fully licensed by the GCGRA for online gaming”, an industry source with knowledge of the situation told Vixio GamblingCompliance on Thursday (November 27).

The operator is currently undergoing a field trial under GCGRA supervision, the source said, with a currently unscheduled formal launch to follow successful completion of the trial.

The GCGRA website was yet to display “internet gaming” or “sports wagering” licensees at publication time, with the absence of accreditation leading media outlets to speculate on Thursday that Momentum’s online interests lack full licensing or feature unlicensed game suppliers.

But the industry source told Vixio that “vendors on the Play971 site are either licensed or provisionally approved by the GCGRA for participation in the field trial”.

Momentum, its lottery operating subsidiary The Game, and Play971 are based in Abu Dhabi City, apparently confirming that the emirate of Abu Dhabi has approved this operation as its sole online gaming licensee.

Whether the specific Play971 licensee is The Game or another Momentum subsidiary could not be immediately confirmed.

These details could also not be verified with the GCGRA, which did not respond at publication time to Vixio requests for comment and confirmation of licensing details.

The GCGRA has almost always published licensee news after licensees have made their own announcements. Up until the last few weeks it has also refused to respond to any media enquiries, and continues to decline comment on all licensing matters.

Vietnam Allows Local Gambling At Grand Ho Tram Casino

After 13 years of operations, Vietnam’s The Grand Ho Tram seaside resort has finally been allowed to host local gamblers at its casino in a five-year pilot scheme.

The Vietnamese government announced the landmark loosening of shackles on the property’s casino in a resolution published on Wednesday (November 26) that also gave permanent local gambling status to Phu Quoc island’s Corona Resort & Casino.

A five-year pilot scheme was also announced for any future integrated resort in the northern Van Don district, near the Chinese border.

Effective immediately, Resolution 307/2025/NQ-CP allows Vietnamese nationals to gamble at Grand Ho Tram after implementing mandated financial and criminal checks.

The shift in policy greatly boosts revenue prospects for owner Lodgis Hospitality Holdings, a joint venture between local investment management behemoth VinaCapital and New York-based private equity firm Warburg Pincus.

It also follows the launch of a $1bn expansion phase of the property in May. The new part of the property will add five-star hotels, villas, entertainment and sports facilities, a separate casino, an amusement park and extensive MICE space, increasing inventory to 9,000 rooms and an overall $4bn price tag.

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