Apple Opens Brazil App Store to Licensed Betting Apps After ANJL Legal Push

Apple will now distribute fixed-odds betting apps through the Brazilian App Store, provided operators hold a valid licence from the Secretariat of Prizes and Bets (SPA). The policy change, confirmed in an Apple developer notice on May 8, 2026, follows legal action by the National Association of Games and Lotteries (ANJL) and a court ruling that formally recognised Brazil’s fixed-odds regulatory framework.

ANJL’s legal challenge argued that Apple’s previous restrictions blocked licensed operators from a core distribution channel while unlicensed operators faced no such barrier. The court denied urgent relief but acknowledged that Brazil’s regulatory regime for fixed-odds betting exists and that Apple’s own internal guidelines already permit betting and lottery apps where local legal requirements are satisfied.

Apple’s operational requirements are specific. A licence review cannot be initiated through a profile update in App Store Connect. A new app version must be submitted. Licence details must be entered in the Notes field of the App Review Information section, with supporting documents attached via the file attachment field. Any app with a “Yes” answer to the gambling question in the age rating questionnaire will receive an automatic A18 rating in Brazil.

ANJL stated it will continue to monitor digital distribution access as part of its broader effort to ensure licensed operators can compete on equal terms in the Brazilian market.

TGJ Take

For any SPA-licensed operator without an active iOS app in Brazil, time is short. The licence verification process does not start until a new app version is filed, and delay costs market position as Brazil’s July 2026 enforcement deadline draws closer. The A18 age gate is automatic and non-negotiable; it needs to be factored into registration flows and ad restrictions before launch, not after. ANJL’s decision to pursue Apple through the courts also sets a template: licensed operators now have an institutional ally prepared to challenge distribution barriers, in app stores, payment channels, or elsewhere. Google Play’s position on Brazilian betting apps is the next question the industry should put on the table.