Pixbet Suspension in Brazil Due to Lack of Age Verification

On July 14, Judge João Lucas of the Juvenile Court for Children and Adolescents in the District of Campina Grande ordered the suspension of online betting platforms operated by Pixbet Soluções Tecnológicas Ltda throughout Brazil. This measure will remain in effect until effective measures are demonstrated to prevent children and adolescents from accessing betting sites.

Reasons Behind the Suspension

The decision was part of a public civil action. The lawsuit was filed by the Center for Defense of Human Rights Padre Ezequiel Ramin, the Francisco de Assis Association for Education, Citizenship, Inclusion and Human Rights, and Father Júlio Renato Lancellotti. They alleged that the platforms did not provide sufficient mechanisms to prevent registration and use by minors.

The judge emphasized that both the Constitution and the Statute of the Child and Adolescent (ECA) guarantee comprehensive protection for minors. This approach is reinforced by the framework of the "Digital ECA," which requires providers to prevent minors from accessing games and betting services.

"Daily experiences and online reports demonstrate that minors continue to access betting platforms with relative ease," the ruling stated. "They use the CPFs of parents, guardians, or other individuals, often without effective biometric verification during registration or subsequent transactions."

Required Measures and Fines

To justify the measure, the judge cited Ordinance No. 73/2026, issued by the Ministries of Finance, Justice, and the National Consumer Secretariat (Senacon). The ordinance reinforces the obligation of betting companies to adopt effective measures to prevent minors' access.

The judge ordered the company to suspend its operational platforms in the country within 48 hours of notification. Operations may only resume after the company demonstrates to the court the implementation of effective technological mechanisms, such as facial recognition with a "liveness" check for each login and financial transaction.

Pixbet is required to perform biometric verification, cross-check records with official databases, and automatically block registrations made with minors' CPFs. Non-compliance will result in a daily fine of BRL 100,000 ($19,561), with an initial cap of BRL 100 million.

Notification to Government Agencies

The ruling mandates notifying Anatel, the National Telecommunications Agency of Brazil, to block the platforms in case of non-compliance, as well as the Secretariat of Prizes and Betting and the National Data Protection Authority to take appropriate measures.