ANALOME urges repeal of federal ordinance mandating bet.br domain for online betting operators

The National Association of Municipal and State Lotteries (ANALOME) has issued a formal objection to Brazil’s requirement that online betting operators use the “bet.br” domain, criticizing the rule as a threat to the legitimacy and financial stability of state and municipal lotteries.

In a statement released on 22 March, ANALOME expressed its “vehement repudiation” of the federal ordinance mandating that operators licensed at the national level must use the bet.br internet domain.

Since Brazil’s regulated online betting market opened on 1 January, this domain has been positioned as a marker of compliance, but ANALOME claims it has unfairly influenced public perception of other legally operating entities.

Operators holding state or municipal licenses often use alternative web domains, which, according to ANALOME, are being incorrectly associated with illegal activity. The association argues that this policy “imposes an erroneous limitation that violates the principles of legality, free initiative and autonomy of the federative entities,” and risks damaging essential financial contributions to public sectors such as health and education.

The critique comes a day after Brazil’s Secretariat of Prizes and Bets (SPA) issued Normative Ordinance No. 566 on 21 March. The ordinance outlines procedures for financial institutions to report transactions linked to illegal gambling operators. ANALOME interprets the ordinance as an attempt to centralize control and undermine state-level authority over lottery regulation.

In response, the association called on the SPA to revoke the ordinance and proposed establishing a joint working group to assess its implications and work toward a solution that respects both federal and subnational competencies. ANALOME emphasized that “technical dialogue is essential to develop a fair regulatory framework,” while noting that legal avenues remain under consideration.

The conflict highlights a growing dispute between Brazil’s federal government and subnational lottery entities. In February, the Supreme Federal Court upheld an injunction that limited the operations of Rio de Janeiro State Lottery (Loterj) licensees to within the state, blocking their expansion across national borders and requiring geolocation controls.

The situation escalated further earlier this month when the Social Democratic Party (Solidariedade) filed a constitutional challenge questioning the legality of municipal lotteries.