Apple now requires a Brazilian betting license for fixed-odds gambling apps in the Brazil App Store

Original post (source): Apple Developer News - “Brazilian betting license requirement for App Store availability” (May 8, 2026)

• https://developer.apple.com/news/?id=x4eyetnp

Summary

Apple says apps with fixed-odds betting (gambling) features can now be distributed on the App Store in Brazil, but only if you can provide a valid fixed-odds betting license issued by Brazil’s Secretariat of Prizes and Bets (SPA).

The practical workflow note is the bit that will catch teams out:

• You must submit a new app version to start license verification.
• Updating App Review Information alone won’t trigger review.

When you submit that new version, Apple’s guidance is to:

• include the license in App Review Information in App Store Connect,
• repeat the license details in the Notes field,
• and attach any supporting documents.

Apple also notes that answering “Yes” to the gambling question in the age rating questionnaire will set the Brazil age rating to A18.

Why this matters for app teams

If you have any gambling-like features (even if they’re a small part of a broader app), this is the kind of policy change that creates “we didn’t touch code, why can’t we ship?” release risk.

It also reinforces a common pattern: country-specific licensing requirements are increasingly enforced as part of the release workflow, not just as legal fine print.

What to do next (tiny win)

If your app could plausibly be interpreted as gambling in any market, do a 10-minute audit:

• confirm how you answer the age rating gambling question today,
• write down who owns license evidence and where it lives,
• and add a checklist item: “If Brazil gambling = yes, attach SPA license on the next build submission.”

Read the original: https://developer.apple.com/news/?id=x4eyetnp