Brazilian operator fined US$165,800 for self-exclusion violation

Procon Ceará, the consumer protection authority for the Brazilian state of Ceará, has imposed a fine of BR$850,327 (approximately US$165,800) on Select Operations, operator of the MMABET.bet.br platform, for failing to honour a customer’s self-exclusion request.

The agency determined that the operator allowed a gambler who had enrolled in Brazil’s national self-exclusion system in March to continue placing bets. According to Procon, the customer requested a three-month exclusion through the federal tool, citing compulsive gambling behaviour. Under the programme, licensed operators must block the individual across all their platforms for the chosen period.

Despite the restriction, the customer was able to open a new account on the same site and deposited a total of BR$1,077 between 8 and 10 April while the exclusion was still active. Procon concluded that Select Operations failed to prevent both the new registration and the subsequent deposits, leading to the administrative penalty.

During the proceedings, the operator argued that the complaint had only been filed after the customer experienced a losing streak. A conciliation hearing was held but did not result in an agreement, prompting Procon to issue the fine.

Registration for the self-exclusion system requires a CPF number and a verified gov.br account. Users may choose a temporary exclusion for a fixed term or request an indefinite ban. Licensed operators are obligated to recognise and enforce these exclusions, making compliance a central responsible-gambling requirement under Brazil’s regulatory framework.

Since Brazil’s Betting Law came into effect in late 2023, over 10,000 lawsuits have been filed against betting companies. Withdrawal issues, blocked accounts and unilateral platform rule changes account for the largest share of complaints. Between January and May 2026 alone, 4,037 new cases were registered.