Court in Brazil Restores CDA Gaming's Betting License

In Brazil, federal appeals judge Adriana Pileggi temporarily recognized CDA Gaming's betting license again, despite the country's general ban. The judge took this step after the São Paulo lower court rejected CDA's request for a preliminary injunction, in an interim decision she issued on November 3.

The company operates the brands Casa de Apostas, Betsul and Jogo Online under this license. The ruling applies only to CDA, and restrictions on other operators in the sector have not been lifted. With the decision, the way is opened for reactivating the domain names, operational, financial and payment services needed for licensed activity. Current regulatory requirements and state oversight, however, will remain in force.

Casa de Apostas came back online on November 4, and its casino section was opened to access. The sports betting section and Betsul are not yet live. CDA had objected to the early termination of its federal license, which was valid until December 31, 2029. The company argued that terminating the license undermines legal certainty, legitimate expectations and the principle of proportionality.

In her ruling, Pileggi drew attention to the financial and technical investments the company made under the license. She also questioned the absence of refunds or compensation for licenses that were cancelled early. However, the decision does not amount to a definitive finding that the national ban is unconstitutional. The ruling will remain in effect until the main case is concluded or a new court decision is issued. The judge asked the institutions named in the objection for responses. The government may appeal this decision.

In a separate case, an earlier preliminary injunction in favor of Stake was suspended by the president of the same appeals court, at the government's request. That decision came from the lower court and concerned a different operator. The temporary protection CDA obtained was granted by the appeals judge and is specific to its own case.