Online gambling regulation in Portugal

Casino, sports betting, poker and more

Land-based casinos operate under separate concessions in gaming zones, while online casino/poker and online sports betting are licensed by SRIJ under the online gambling regime. Sports betting is separately taxed and authorized; poker is a game of chance within the online casino framework.

Product	Status	What that means
Online casino	Licensed	—
Online sports betting	Licensed	—
Online poker	Licensed	Online poker is legal but licensed under SRIJ/Decree-Law No. 66/2015; unlicensed offer is unlawful.
Sweepstakes and social casinos	Not confirmed	No clear Portugal-specific sweepstakes/social casino framework found; social gaming is noted as unregulated, but sweepstakes legality is unconfirmed.
Prediction markets	Licensed	Portugal regulates online gambling and fixed‑odds betting under a closed licensing system in Decree‑Law 66/2015 – Regime Jurídico dos Jogos e Apostas Online (RJO); only licensed SRIJ operators may offer remote betting. Prediction‑style fixed‑odds bets offered to the public would therefore fall within online gambling/betting and require an online gambling licence; unlicensed operators targeting Portuguese bettors are not legally allowed. No specific public enforcement actions or cease‑and‑desist measures against Kalshi, Polymarket, Crypto.com, or Robinhood event contracts in Portugal were found in the available materials. status: licensed note: Fixed‑odds event betting is covered by Decree‑Law 66/2015 RJO (2015) in a closed licensing system; unlicensed operators (eg Kalshi/Polymarket) lack authorisation but no public actions found.
Mystery boxes	Not confirmed	No Portugal-specific rule found for paid mystery boxes/loot boxes; online gambling is regulated by Decree-Law 66/2015, and “Loot or Crash” was regulated by Regulation 308/2023.

Advertising unlicensed gambling in Portugal

Prohibited. Decree-Law No. 66/2015 (Online Gambling Act) prohibits promoting unlicensed online gambling; advertising also governed by Portuguese Advertising Code.

Only SRIJ-licensed offers may be promoted; promotion of unlicensed online gambling is illegal under the Online Gambling Act and advertising rules.

Regulator and law

Serviço de Regulação e Inspeção de Jogos (SRIJ), within Turismo de Portugal — www.srij.turismodeportugal.pt

Decree-Law No. 66/2015 of 29 April (Regime Jurídico do Jogo Online – RJO)

Online casino: Licensed. Online sports betting: Licensed.

Checking a licence

The regulator publishes a register of licensed operators. SRIJ publishes lists of licensed online gambling and betting operators. Exact URL not confirmed.

How the black market is fought

ISP blocking of unlicensed gambling websites
Cease-and-desist / closure notices to illegal operators
Criminal prosecution for illegal operation/promotion
Requests to payment providers to block transactions

Advertising rules for licensed operators

Only SRIJ-licensed operators may be advertised to Portuguese consumers
Advertising must not target or use minors, including near schools (250m)
No gambling advertising in events intended for minors or where minors are main participants
Operators cannot be linked to advertising referencing provision of loans or credit

Recent developments

SRIJ Instructions 23/2025, 24/2025 and 25/2025 on detailed online reporting and XML schemas for operators
Q2 2025 enforcement: 97 cease-and-desist orders and 110 unlicensed sites requested for blocking
Launch of national centralised self-exclusion system in April 2026 by SRIJ

Questions

Is it illegal to advertise unlicensed gambling in Portugal?

Yes. Decree-Law No. 66/2015 (Online Gambling Act) prohibits promoting unlicensed online gambling; advertising also governed by Portuguese Advertising Code. Only SRIJ-licensed offers may be promoted; promotion of unlicensed online gambling is illegal under the Online Gambling Act and advertising rules.

Who regulates online gambling in Portugal?

Serviço de Regulação e Inspeção de Jogos (SRIJ), within Turismo de Portugal. The main law is Decree-Law No. 66/2015 of 29 April (Regime Jurídico do Jogo Online – RJO).

How can I check whether a gambling operator is licensed in Portugal?

The regulator publishes a register of licensed operators. SRIJ publishes lists of licensed online gambling and betting operators. Exact URL not confirmed.

What we could not confirm

Exact article numbers in Decree-Law No. 66/2015 for advertising and criminal provisions not verified in full text
Precise URL of SRIJ public register/whitelist page not confirmed
Whether specific platform-notice obligations (app stores, social media) are codified is unclear
Whether sweepstakes/social casinos with dual-currency prizes are explicitly regulated or prohibited in Portugal
Whether paid mystery/loot boxes are treated as gambling, consumer products, or unregulated
Whether prediction markets are supervised as gambling, financial derivatives, or remain outside a specific regime
Whether online poker is always licensed for operators or also allowed to players on unlicensed sites

Sources

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.