Online gambling and sports betting in Maranhão

• Online betting and online casino games are legal in every state for operators licensed federally by the SPA (Law 14.790/2023); the state lottery can also license operators for its own territory.
• Maranhão is a state-licensed Brazilian market for fixed-odds betting, alongside the federal SPA regime.
• The state operator referenced in current coverage is Embralote.
• Federal Brazil online betting law is Law 14.790/2023.
• The federal regulator is the Secretariat of Prizes and Betting (SPA/MF).
• A current federal authorised-operators list exists on the government site.
• Recent 2026 reporting says advertising rules bar unauthorized operators' branding and require verification against the official list.

SPA/MF; state lottery authority for Maranhão

Law 14.790/2023.

Prohibited. Federal fixed-odds advertising rules; Maranhão also adopted state advertising limits.

2026 reporting says ads may not promote unauthorized operators and must be checked against the official authorizations list.

National rules also apply — see online gambling regulation in Brazil.

The regulator publishes a list of licensed or authorised operators.

• 2026 federal reporting says ads for unauthorized operators are barred.
• 2026 reporting identifies Maranhão among states with separate state-licensed operations.
• Current government list of authorized fixed-odds operators is maintained online.
• Maranhão-specific state advertising restrictions were reported in 2026.

• Exact Maranhão state-law citation authorizing the state lottery regime
• Whether Maranhão permits retail sports betting specifically under state law
• Exact launch month for Maranhão’s own state-licensed online channel
• Whether Maranhão publishes its own separate operator whitelist
• Whether Maranhão separately prohibits or licenses online casino-style products beyond the advertising ban.
• Whether prediction markets are treated as gambling, financial derivatives, or are specifically regulated in Brazil.
• Whether paid mystery boxes/loot boxes are treated as gambling or consumer products in Maranhão/Brazil.
• Whether sweepstakes/social casinos have any state-specific enforcement or restrictions in Maranhão.

1. bnldata.com.br/en/spa-mf-questiona-constitucionalidade-de-lei-gaucha-que-restringe-publicidade-de-bets/
2. yogonet.com/international/news/2025/05/15/104870-brazilian-government-updates-list-of-companies-authorized-to-operate-online-gambling
3. iclg.com/practice-areas/gambling-laws-and-regulations/brazil
4. legal500.com/guides/chapter/brazil-gambling-law/
5. vixio.com/insights/gc-brazil-begins-new-enforcement-era
6. practiceguides.chambers.com/practice-guides/gaming-law-2025/brazil
7. gov.br/pt-br/servicos/consultar-as-empresas-autorizadas-a-operar-apostas-de-quota-fixa
8. yogonet.com/international/news/2026/07/13/125350-brazil-bars-unauthorized-operators-and-youth-targeting-under-new-advertising-rules
9. deep.poker/learn/country/brazil
10. worldpokerdeals.com/blog/online-poker-in-brazil
11. practiceguides.chambers.com/practice-guides/gaming-law-2024/brazil
12. mondaq.com/Guides/Results/43?jurisdiction=130&mode=all
13. gamblingmaps.org/map/regulations/brazil
14. onlinegamblingregulations.com/regulations/brazil/

Researched 2026-09-21 from public sources and summarised by the Brandfense team. Not legal advice — confirm with the regulator or your counsel before acting.