The Supreme Federal Court of Brazil has postponed the judgment on deciding whether land-based gambling must be criminalized and prohibited in the country after the latest...
The Ministry of Finance of Brazil has ordered sports betting company Pixbet to immediately suspend operations, cancel ongoing bets, and return all wagered funds to its users in connection with regulatory compliance breaches.
In addition to the suspension, the Ministry has also required Pixbet to pay a daily €33,400 fine for non-compliance and plans to seize over €184 million from the operator. According to authorities, the company failed to meet monitoring and supervision standards for betting companies and didn’t have the necessary mechanisms to address problem gambling patterns.
The company’s pix.bet.br, ganhei.bet.br, and betdasorte.bet.br domains have all fallen under suspension, with Pixbet only allowed to continue operations after the Prizes and Bets Secretariat (SPA) confirms compliance.
The SPA stated:
“The precautionary measure was taken due to the high risk of harm to bettors and the regulated market.”
The precautionary measure was announced on August 13, 2026. The order came alongside another investigation called Operation Arena into Pixbet over money laundering and currency evasion charges involving crypto and offshore companies, which was conducted by the Federal Police, the Public Prosecutor’s Office, the Ministry of Finance, and the Federal Revenue Service.
As part of the investigation, federal agents approached the company’s owner, Ernildo Júnior, seizing his car and cell phone under a search and seizure warrant.
