The Ministry of Justice and Public Security (MJSP) requested clarification from Google Brasil and Apple regarding the presence of illegal bets apps on the Play Store and Apple Store.
Monitoring carried out by the ministry’s team identified more than 100 apps without proper licensing from the Secretariat of Prizes and Bets (SPA).
Now, in addition to overseeing operators, the Brazilian government is also holding distribution platforms accountable, as they contribute to access to gambling.
Understanding the reasons for the notification
According to a statement from the MJSP, the illegal bets apps available on Google and Apple’s stores offer fixed-odds betting and other formats without authorization to do so.
Furthermore, these apps display explicit messages promoting betting and, through their search features, allow users to find popular games in the country, such as the Tigrinho game.
Also according to the MJSP, both companies received the notification through Official Letters No. 455 and No. 456\/2026.
They were signed by the National Secretaries for Digital Rights and for Consumer Affairs and sent on April 17th.
The action took place during routine monitoring. It’s worth noting that last month, the ECA Digital legal framework came into effect, holding platforms accountable for making content inappropriate for minors under 18 available.
Stricter approval standards in the stores
Both Google and Apple were instructed to provide a list of all bets apps available to Brazilians and present in their respective stores.
More information was also required about the distribution policies for bets apps and how the processes for verifying licensing and compliance are conducted.
Following the creation of the regulation, the sector is undergoing increased oversight, as shown by the MJSP’s action.
This will result not only in greater rigor from the stores, but also in the need for operators to prove their license in order to make their apps available.
Otherwise, bets apps run the risk of being removed. Google, for example, stated in a statement that it blocked or removed more than 270 million gambling and betting ads worldwide.
In Brazil, according to information from the SPA and the National Telecommunications Agency (Anatel), more than 29,000 illegal websites have been blocked since 2025.