🇵🇹For operators · Tax, marketing & compliance
Operating in Portugal: 25% tax, ad limits
Online gambling is legal under SRIJ licences, one .pt site per operator, with no cap on licences. Operators pay a special online gaming tax instead of corporate income tax, player winnings are untaxed, licences from other states are not valid, and unlicensed sites are blocked by notice to network intermediaries.
Operator tax8% / 25%Upfront€600,000Licence term3 yrsDecision deadlineNoneAnnual GGR3.03B USDOnline licensees18
Product by product
Every licence needs a company seated in the EU or EEA with a Portuguese branch if it is foreign, and one .pt website per operator.| Product | Status | Licensed by | Tax | Key restriction | Advertising |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sports betting | Licensable | SRIJ and the Comissão de Jogos, sports-betting licence | 8% of stakes | Only events on the Comissão de Jogos list | Allowed if socially responsible; no channel or time ban; no outdoor ads within 250 metres of schools |
| Online casino (live and table games) | Licensable | SRIJ, games-of-chance licence | 25% of gross revenue | Each game type is certified, homologated and authorised separately on the licence | As for Sports betting |
| Online slots | Licensable | SRIJ, games-of-chance licence | 25% of gross revenue | Autoplay allowed with an operator-set maximum; at least 3 seconds for player decisions; operator-funded progressive jackpots | Allowed if socially responsible; no channel or time ban |
| Online poker | Licensable | SRIJ, games-of-chance licence | 25% of gross revenue | Shared liquidity only with SRIJ authorisation | As for Online slots |
| Lottery | State monopoly | Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Lisboa (State social games) | Prizes: 20% above €5,000 | Outside the online gambling licence; no operator licence exists | — |
Decided23 Sep 2026Parliament: Livre package sent to committee
Is Portugal's online gambling law about to change?
Several initiatives are pending in committee and none has been voted. The PS bill 656/XVII, which would amend the online gambling regime on consumer protection, compulsive gambling and illegal online gambling, entered on 11 June 2026. Livre's package, bills 748 to 754/XVII, was admitted and sent to committee on 23 September 2026. It covers addiction warnings in all games, self-exclusion on all licensed platforms, advertising and sponsorship rules, and income tax on net winnings. A Livre bill to ban gambling sponsorship of events was rejected on 30 April 2026.
PS bill 656/XVII ↗Livre bill 748/XVII, addiction warnings ↗Livre bill 752/XVII, advertising and sponsorship ↗
Regulator and player protection in Portugal
Self-exclusion scheme
Portuguese Self-Exclusion Register (SRIJ Auto-exclusão)
How players exclude themselves; what it covers is in the player guide
Mandatory RG controls
No limit imposed on players
Deposit limits or reality checks the law requires operators to offer
Which casinos & betting sites are licensed in Portugal?
See the full official list of licensed operators and their authorised domains.
Heads-up for operators
3 items · last change 20 Oct 2026
Projeto de Lei 813/XVII/2
The bill would amend the online gambling legal regime (Decree-Law 66/2015) and set rules for online sports betting and sports financing, which licensed operators would have to follow if enacted.
Source: 1Not yet in our report
Draft Law 398/XVII/1ª — TRIS notification 2026/0522/PT
The notified draft proposes age-related protections and provider obligations for covered online services, including betting and gaming platforms. It is not yet in force; the notification lists 29 December 2026 as the standstill end date.
Source: 2Not yet in our report
Several gambling bills are in committee and none has been adopted: PL 656/XVII (PS), PR 1080/XVII (PSD), Livre’s PL 748-754/XVII and PR 1240/XVII and 1280/XVII. The Livre bill banning gambling sponsorship of events and competitions (Projeto de Lei 220/XVII) was rejected on 30 April 2026. The RJO has not been amended since 1 April 2020.
Not yet in force: drafts, laws adopted without a start date, and sections of the law still to be commenced. An item moves to the timeline below on the day it takes effect.
Getting licensed: apply to the SRIJ
The licence, its cost and the steps are in the licence guide
6 licence types: Fixed-odds sports betting licence; Horse-race betting licence (mutual and fixed-odds); Games-of-chance licence; and others. Year-1 budget From €638,616. Fees, requirements, documents, certification and the step-by-step route are set out there.Read the licence guide
Gambling tax: 25% of gross revenue (games of chance) · 8% of stakes (sports betting)
By vertical
- Games of chance (casino, slots, poker)IEJO 25% of gross revenue, commissions included (RJO art. 89).
- Fixed-odds sports bettingIEJO 8% of the amount of stakes, plus any commission (RJO art. 90(1)-(3)).
- Betting exchange (players against each other)IEJO 35% of the commissions, sports or horse racing (RJO art. 90(7), art. 91(10)).
- Mutual horse bettingIEJO 25% of gross revenue (RJO art. 91(1)-(2)).
- Fixed-odds horse bettingIEJO 8% of the amount of stakes (RJO art. 91(5)-(6)).
Detail
Imposto Especial de Jogo Online (IEJO), RJO arts. 88-91, unchanged since the 2020 State Budget (Lei 2/2020, in force 1 April 2020): games of chance 25% of gross revenue with commissions included (art. 89); fixed-odds sports betting 8% of the amount of stakes plus any commission (art. 90(1)-(3)); betting-exchange commissions 35% (art. 90(7)); mutual horse betting 25% of gross revenue (art. 91). Liquidated monthly by SRIJ, collection document by the 5th of the following month, paid by the 15th (art. 88).
The pre-2020 progressive sports-betting scale (8% up to €30 million of annual stakes, rising to a 16% cap) was repealed.
Which foreign licences Portugal accepts
Portugal recognises none of these 8 foreign licences.
BlockedMalta (MGA)
An MGA license is not valid for operating in Portugal; a local SRIJ license is mandatory.
United Kingdom (UKGC)
Post-Brexit, UKGC licenses have no standing in the EU market. Operators require a local Portuguese license.
Curaçao (CGB)
Operators on a Curaçao license are considered illegal and are actively blocked by the SRIJ via ISP and payment notifications.
Alderney (AGCC)
As a Crown Dependency, Alderney's license is not recognized for direct operation within the EU.
Kahnawake (KGC)
This Canadian First Nations license has no legal recognition within the EU.
Anjouan
This emerging offshore license is not recognized in any regulated EU market, including Portugal.
Isle of Man (GSC)
The Isle of Man is a Crown Dependency, and its licenses are not valid for operating in EU member states.
Gibraltar (GRA)
Post-Brexit, Gibraltar-licensed operators must obtain a local license to operate in EU countries like Portugal.
Bonus rules: welcome bonuses allowed
Inducement ads: Allowed
Bonuses and promotions are legal and can be advertised, within the one advertising rule, Código da Publicidade art. 21: no suggestion of easy gain or social success, nothing aimed at minors. The law caps no wagering requirement and names no bonus type; SRIJ’s guidance counts bonus credits within the limits a player sets. No bill on bonuses or advertising has been adopted; Livre's Projeto de Lei 752/XVII, regulating gambling advertising and sponsorship, has been in committee since 23 September 2026.
What the player can claim
- Welcome bonus
- Allowed
- VIP schemes
- Allowed
- Loyalty schemes
- Allowed
- Cashback
- Allowed
- Bonus credits count within the daily, weekly and monthly stake limits the player sets (SRIJ Orientação 2/2017).
- A slot game may run only its base game and the supplementary games described in its approved rules (Regulamento 828/2015); free spins inside an approved game are allowed.
No VIP rule, cashback rule or wagering cap exists in the RJO or its regulations; the bonus policy is the operator’s own and must be defined (RJO art. 26).
What the operator can advertise
- Channels off-limits
- Inside schools and other places intended for minors, and within 250 metres of them (art. 21(3)-(4)).
- Any mention of gambling at events aimed at minors or where minors are the main participants (art. 21(5)).
- Messages ads may not give
- Anything suggesting easy gain or social success from gambling (art. 21(1)).
- Anything encouraging excessive play, or aimed at or using minors (art. 21(1)-(2)).
- Placement rule
- The law sets no fixed wording for advertisements. The warnings against excessive play, the right to self-exclude and the support contacts are required on the licensed site itself (RJO art. 58(1)(i)-(j)).
- Penalties
SRIJ and the Comissão de Jogos decide advertising proceedings under the Código da Publicidade; breaches of the RJO itself are fined €5,000 to €50,000 when serious and €50,000 to €1,000,000 when very serious (RJO art. 61).
Promoting unlicensed online gambling is a crime: up to five years’ imprisonment (RJO art. 49).
We found no published advertising fine against a licensed operator; SRIJ publishes enforcement mostly as blocking and closure-notice counts in its quarterly reports.
Advertising: limited
Gambling advertising is allowed for licensed operators on every channel, within one rule: article 21 of the Código da Publicidade. It must be socially responsible, protect minors and vulnerable groups, and not suggest easy gain or social success. There is no watershed, no channel ban and no prior approval; the limits are spatial (schools and within 250 metres of them) and by audience (minors). SRIJ and the Comissão de Jogos supervise and decide the proceedings.
| Channel | Status | Vertical & Platform Split (2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Google Search Ads | Restricted | Google accepts gambling ads only from advertisers it has certified for the country, and an SRIJ licence is what an operator certifies with. Portuguese law adds no search-specific rule: the ad itself falls under Código da Publicidade art. 21.38 |
| App Store Publishing | Allowed | Real-money gambling apps are publishable for operators that hold the SRIJ licence, under Apple's guideline 5.3 and Google Play's country allowances. Each licensed operator runs one .pt site, and every player is identified before play (RJO art. 37).91011 |
| Google/Apple App Store Ads | Restricted | Promoted listings for licensed gambling apps are allowed under the platforms' own gambling policies. The law sets no fixed warning text for advertisements; the responsible-gambling warnings are required on the licensed site itself (RJO art. 58(1)(i)-(j)).4812 |
| Meta (FB/IG) | Restricted | Meta requires prior written permission to run gambling ads, granted on the operator's licence. Portuguese law treats social media like any other channel under art. 21; it has no influencer rule, and bans only advertising directed at or using minors (art. 21(2)).313 |
| TV & Radio | Allowed | Allowed within art. 21, with no channel ban and no time restriction or watershed. No bill to add one is before Parliament.314 |
| Sponsorships | Allowed | Allowed, including logos on kit and in stadiums, except at events aimed at minors or where minors are the main participants, where gambling may not be mentioned (art. 21(5)). Parliament rejected the Livre bill to ban gambling sponsorship of events and competitions (Projeto de Lei 220/XVII) on 30 April 2026.37 |
| Digital OOH | Restricted | Allowed, except inside schools and other places intended for minors and within 250 metres of them, measured in a straight line (art. 21(3)-(4)). The distance rule does not apply to Santa Casa's State social games (art. 21(7)).3 |
Channel rules for Portugal reflect each platform's published policy and the sources numbered in each row (listed under Methodology & sources). Verify with the local regulator and your ad-platform account manager before launching.
How Portugal enforces against unlicensed operators
SRIJ blocks illegal sites by notice to network intermediaries, which must comply within 48 hours, refers cases to the public prosecutor, and fines licensees on bands up to €1,000,000 or 10% of turnover.
- By 31 March 2026: 1,739 closure notices to illegal operators, 2,930 sites notified to ISPs for blocking and 71 criminal referrals since the RJO took effect (SRIJ Q1 2026 report).
- Fines: very serious offences €50,000 to €1,000,000 or up to 10% of turnover (RJO art. 61).
- Illegal operation of online gambling: up to five years’ imprisonment (RJO art. 49).
- A €27,500 fine for a failed self-exclusion system was upheld by the Lisbon Court of Appeal.
Enforcement cases in Portugal: 2 recent
Material regulator actions, court rulings, and high-profile fines from 2016–2026 against operators serving Portugal. Each entry includes the technical failure and a one-line read-across for other operators in the market.
- January 2026
Betway (GM Gaming Limited)
LicensingLicences 021 and 022 revoked at the operator’s requestThe Comissão de Jogos revoked both licences on 5 January 2026 after the operator asked for it; betway.pt may no longer offer online gambling in Portugal.
Read-across: Leaving the market is done by revocation on request, and SRIJ announces it and removes the brand from the register.
- 2024
Licensed operator (not named in the judgment)
RG€27,500 fine upheld on appealThe operator’s self-exclusion mechanism failed for months and let a self-excluded player register, deposit and play; SRIJ fined it and the Lisbon Court of Appeal upheld the single fine.
Read-across: A self-exclusion failure is sanctioned even when a technical fault is blamed, and the courts back SRIJ on it.
Market size: 3.03B USD (2025)
Gross gaming revenue in Portugal is approximately 3.03 billion USD annually. The most popular form of gambling is Online casino. Online gambling represents 80% of total GGR. A culturally distinctive product in this market is State-run Santa Casa lotteries, online slots (over 80% of casino wagers), football betting, and the traditional casino game Banca Francesa (French Bank)..
Market breakdown by vertical
- Online1.36B USD31.0%
- Land-based0.31B USD7.1%
- Sports betting0.51B USD11.6%
- Casino0.86B USD19.6%
- Lottery1.35B USD30.8%
All 2025, € million summed from the issuer’s own quarterly figures and converted at the ECB 2025 average USD/EUR 1.1300. Online (SRIJ): games of chance €758.9m, fixed-odds sports betting €447.4m. Land-based casinos and machine halls (SRIJ): €272.1m. Santa Casa’s State social games, lotteries and Placard (SCML accounts): gross sales €3,143m less prizes €1,944m = €1,199m. Bingo halls are not included: SRIJ reports their revenue as card sales, not stakes less prizes.
Licensed operators: 19
As of 9 Oct 2026, approximately 19 operators hold an active licence in Portugal. Size your entry against this base before committing capital. Check them yourself on the official Serviço de Regulação e Inspeção de Jogos register, which lists each licensee and its authorised domains.
Notable licensed operators
Betano
Placard.pt
ESC Online
Solverde.pt
Traps operators hit in Portugal
Specific operational risks that have caught new entrants in this market. Each item is country-specific. Generic gambling-ops issues (KYC, RG tools) are not included unless they have a local twist.
Taxing sports betting as if on gross revenue
The IEJO on fixed-odds sports betting is 8% of stakes, not of margin, so a low-margin book pays a far higher share of its revenue than 8% (RJO art. 90).
Sources21
Treating the data rules as a formality
The entry and registration infrastructure must sit on Portuguese territory, data must be kept there for 10 years, and SRIJ receives hourly transaction and financial files (RJO art. 34; Instruções 24/2025 and 25/2025).
Sources4
Self-exclusion that fails silently
The Lisbon Court of Appeal upheld a €27,500 fine on an operator whose self-exclusion mechanism failed for months and let an excluded player play.
Sources17
Advertising near schools
Gambling advertising is banned inside schools and within 250 metres of them, and must never be directed at or use minors (Código da Publicidade art. 21).
Sources3
Timeline: rules in force
- 30 Apr 2026
Gambling sponsorship ban rejected
Parliament rejected Projeto de Lei 220/XVII.
Source: 22Checked 5 Oct 2026
- 8 Apr 2026
Central self-exclusion
An exclusion made through SRIJ's form applies to every licensed online operator.
Source: 23Checked 5 Oct 2026
- 1 Mar 2026
Fees indexed for 2026
SRIJ's table under Portaria 211/2015: homologation EUR 21,721.65 + 2,413.52 per item; licence EUR 14,481.10.
Source: 24Checked 5 Oct 2026
- 1 Apr 2020
IEJO rates fixed by the 2020 State Budget
Lei 2/2020 art. 378: sports betting 8% of stakes, games of chance 25% of gross revenue, the progressive sports-betting scale repealed.
Source: 25Checked 5 Oct 2026
- December 2015
Technical and player-account regulations
Regulamento 903-B/2015 (technical requirements) and 836/2015 (player registration and account); amended in 2016 and 2018.
Source: 26
- 28 Jun 2015
RJO in force
The online regime applies; the first licences were issued in 2016.
Source: 25Checked 5 Oct 2026
Operator myths vs reality in Portugal
Common assumptions about gambling licensing that turn out to be wrong in practice.
- MythAn EU licence (MGA, Curaçao) is enough to take Portuguese players.
- MythGame suppliers need their own Portuguese licence.
- MythThe sports-betting tax is on gross revenue.Reality
It is 8% of stakes (RJO art. 90); only games of chance and mutual horse betting are taxed on gross revenue, at 25%.
Sources21
Markets that work like Portugal
Compared on what our records hold for each country: whether online casino, betting, poker and lottery are licensed, state-run or banned, the licensing model, what the operator tax is levied on and its band, how most advertising channels are treated, and how foreign licences are treated. A point we hold for only one of the two countries counts for nothing.
- SpainReviewedLithuaniaCheckedSwedenChecked
Online casino, betting and poker licensed; licensed market; GGR tax 20–30%; most ad channels restricted; foreign licences mostly blocked.
- DenmarkIn reviewBulgariaChecked
Online casino, betting and poker licensed; lottery state-run; licensed market; GGR tax 20–30%; foreign licences mostly blocked.
Methodology & sources
The research behind our Portugal coverage
Counted across every Portugal page, not this page alone.
compiled 19 Oct 2026
6
official websites
regulators, legislatures, courts
107
pages cited
specific documents, not homepages
233
sourced data points
each traced to the instrument
Across every Portugal page on this site: players, operators and the licence guide. The research report behind them cites official sources: the law, the regulator, the gazette, the courts and each platform’s own published advertising policy. Page sections not yet rewritten from the report may cite other sources.
The same research as a 35-page Portugal report: every one of the 201 checklist questions, each answer cited to the instrument behind it.
Request the Portugal reportOur Deep AI Scan took Portugal through all 201 questions of our regulatory checklist, from 50 official documents, read on 19 Oct 2026. Our research team then traced every figure on this page to the document and sentence that states it. The full research report is now with our compliance team for review. Where a fact rests on a press report or a law-firm summary rather than an official document, the page says so.
Documents cited on this page
- 1Regula as apostas desportivas online e o modelo de financiamento do desporto, alterando o Decreto-Lei n.º 66/2015, de 29 de abril, que aprova o Regime Jurídico dos Jogos e Apostas Online
- 2Portugal: Projeto de Lei 398/XVII/1ª, que estabelece medidas de proteção de crianças em ambientes digitais.
- 3Código da Publicidade art. 21: games and bets (Diário da República)
- 4Decreto-Lei 66/2015 (RJO), consolidated: Diário da República
- 5SRIJ Orientação 2/2017: bonuses and self-imposed stake limits
- 6Regulamento 828/2015: slot-machine rules (Diário da República)
- 7Assembleia da República: Projeto de Lei 220/XVII (gambling sponsorship ban), rejected 30 April 2026
- 8Google Ads - Gambling and games policy
- 9Apple - App Review Guideline 5.3
- 10Google Play - Country allowances for gambling apps
- 11SRIJ: Entidades licenciadas (register)
- 12Apple Ads - Policies
- 13Meta - Advertising Policy on Gambling
- 14SRIJ: Regras da publicidade
- 15SRIJ: Atividade do Jogo Online, 1.º trimestre 2026
- 16RJO arts. 49-67: crimes and fines
- 17Tribunal da Relação de Lisboa, Proc. 1041/22.2Y4LSB.L1-5: €27,500 fine upheld
- 18SRIJ: Atividade do Jogo Online, 4.º trimestre 2025
- 19SRIJ: Atividade do Jogo em casinos, sala de máquinas e de bingo, 4.º trimestre 2025
- 20Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Lisboa: Relatório de Gestão e Contas 2025, Quadro 43 (Departamento de Jogos), p. 154
- 21RJO arts. 87-91: IEJO rates and bases (last amended by Lei 2/2020, in force 1 April 2020)
- 22Assembleia da República document
- 23SRIJ document
- 24SRIJ document
- 25Diário da República document
- 26Regulamento 903-B/2015: technical requirements (Diário da República)
- 27SRIJ: Licences (foreign licences not valid in Portugal)
- 28SRIJ, Certification: recognised certifying entities
The 10 documents this page relies on most
- Decreto-Lei n.º 66/2015, de 29 de abril — Regime Jurídico dos Jogos e Apostas Online (RJO), consolidated textLaw
- Código da Publicidade (DL 330/90) art. 21 — games and betsRegulator
- Regulamento n.º 903-B/2015 — technical requirements of the online technical system (SRIJ)Law
- Lei n.º 83/2017, de 18 de agosto — anti-money laundering law, consolidatedLaw
- Decreto-Lei n.º 129/2012, de 22 de junho — organic law of Turismo de Portugal, I.P., consolidated textLaw
- Regulamento n.º 836/2015 — player registration and accountLaw
- Código do Imposto do Selo (Lei 150/99), Tabela Geral item 11 — gamblingLaw
- SRIJ Instrução n.º 24/2025/SRIJ/JO, de 26 de maio — hourly reporting of financial transactionsRegulator
- SRIJ — Atividade do Jogo Online em Portugal, 2.º trimestre 2026Regulator
- SRIJ — Entidades licenciadas (licensed operators register)Regulator
Also cited on this page
- Decreto-Lei n.º 66/2015, de 29 de abril, Regime Jurídico dos Jogos e Apostas Online (RJO): governing framework for Portuguese online gambling licensed by the Serviço de Regulação e Inspeção de Jogos (SRIJ); establishes the Imposto Especial de Jogo Online (IEJO)
- Online GGR 2025, SRIJ quarterly online gambling statistics 2025: receita bruta €284.7m …
- srij.turismodeportugal.pt: verified 2026-09-23
- srij.turismodeportugal.pt: verified 2026-09-23
- SRIJ: Cauções, taxas e impostos (fees updated to 1 March 2026)
- parlamento.pt: verified 2026-09-23
- Portaria 209/2022, de 23 de agosto: amends Portaria 314/2015 on sharing out the 37.5% of the sports-betting IEJO (RJO art. 90(9)); undistributed sums go to the IPDJ
- Decreto-Lei 422/89, Lei do Jogo (land-based), SRIJ consolidated copy: art. 3 (gaming zones), art. 36 (access)
- SRIJ: Licences 021 and 022 of GM Gaming Limited (betway.pt) revoked at the operator’s request, 9 January 2026
- srij.turismodeportugal.pt — verified 2026-10-05
50 documents in all. Request the full research report for every source, answer by answer.
Looking for the player guide?
For consumer-facing information about gambling in Portugal (tax on winnings, where to play legally, self-exclusion options), see the Portugal player guide.
Disclaimer. This page reflects the law as we understood it on 9 Oct 2026. Rules change: always check the current position with Serviço de Regulação e Inspeção de Jogos (SRIJ). We are not a legal adviser.