The operator marks National Online Betting Day with seven key checks to help consumers distinguish regulated platforms from illegal and fraudulent operators
Esportes Gaming Brasil has called for greater consumer awareness around fraudulent and illegal betting platforms, warning that checking whether a website uses the .bet.br domain should be the starting point, rather than the only step bettors take to determine whether an operator is legitimate.
To mark National Online Betting Day, the Brazilian betting group highlighted seven checks consumers can carry out to distinguish authorised operators from illegal sites, cloned pages and fraud attempts.
Since January 1, 2025, only companies authorised by Brazil’s Secretariat of Prizes and Betting (SPA) have been permitted to operate nationwide, while licensed websites use the .bet.br domain. However, Esportes Gaming Brasil warned that fraudulent websites can imitate the names, brand identities, advertising and social media profiles of legitimate operators in an attempt to deceive consumers.
Carol Luna, Head of Compliance at Esportes Gaming Brasil Group, said: “.bet.br is the first filter, but security does not end with checking the domain. Consumers should assess the entire experience: who operates the brand, how their identity is verified, where payments may come from, what control tools are available and how they can access customer support.”
Esportes Gaming Brasil identified seven key areas consumers should consider when assessing a betting platform:
- Check the operator against the SPA’s official list.
- Access platforms through verified channels rather than relying solely on advertising or search results.
- Confirm that appropriate identity verification procedures are in place.
- Review the available payment methods.
- Check whether financial and time limits and self-exclusion tools are available.
- Make sure clear customer support channels are provided.
- Be wary of guaranteed-win promises or offers to recover previous losses.
The group also highlighted identity verification as an important distinction between regulated and illegal betting environments. Licensed operators are required to verify bettors’ information and use authentication measures, including facial recognition with liveness detection.
“Verification may initially feel like an additional step, but it serves a very specific purpose. It helps prevent underage access, misuse of third-party identities, fraud and transactions that do not belong to the account holder,” Luna added.
Esportes Gaming Brasil stressed that consumer protection should continue throughout the entire player journey and should not end once an account has been opened. Regulated platforms provide tools including financial and time limits, as well as self-exclusion mechanisms, while payments should be made between the operator and a bank or payment account held in the bettor’s own name.
“A regulated market should provide consumers with enough information to make informed decisions and recognise their own limits. Safety is not only about preventing fraud during registration. It also means ensuring transparency, access to control tools and support for those who decide to stop betting,” Luna concluded.
