Online gambling: regulated by SRIJ

Online gambling and betting are legal in Portugal and have operated under a separate legal regime since 2015. Supervision is carried out by Serviço de Regulação e Inspeção de Jogos (SRIJ), a service within the Turismo de Portugal structure responsible for licensing, inspections, advertising control and player protection. The SRIJ oversees both "land" and "online," including casino games, sports betting, and racetrack pools/odds.

Legal framework: What is RJO

The legal foundation of the online marketplace is Decreto-Lei n. º 66/2015 of 29 April, which approved the Regime Jurídico dos Jogos e Apostas Online (RJO). The document fixed the categories of permitted products (fortune games, sports betting, sweepstakes/horse racing odds), licensing, advertising and reporting requirements, and also updated the norms of the advertising code. The consolidated text and official publication are available in Diário da República and on the SRIJ/Turismo de Portugal websites.

SRIJ Online Responsibility

Licenses and platform control: issue/renewal of licenses for products, remote monitoring, technical audit, requirements for RNG/engines and reporting APIs.

Advertising and enforcement: supervision of compliance with advertising rules, proceedings in cases of administrative offenses, warnings and fines.

Player protection: responsible play policy, 18 + age barrier, self-exclusion, limits and reality checks.

Fighting illegal immigrants: blacklists of domains/mirrors and interaction with payment providers. These powers are listed in the official sections of the Turismo de Portugal/SRIJ.

What you can online (legal categories)

• Fortune games (online casinos: slots, roulette, blackjack, etc.)
• Jumps (pools and fixed odds)

All categories are listed in the RJO and in the SRIJ references. You can only play with SRIJ licensees.

Licensing and technical requirements (short)

By product type. Separate licenses for betting, casino games, poker, etc. (operator may have several).

Reporting system. Uniform layouts for bets/winnings/balances; remote access for supervision.

Certification. Gaming software and RNG - with approval and technical certification for RJO.

Example of practice. Licensing of online casinos/bets has been active since 2016; the market expanded in stages (including the issuance of poker licenses).

KYC/AML and Payments

Operators are required to check age and identity, apply sanctions and geo-filters, keep transaction logs and check the source of funds at thresholds. For online transactions, payment instruments are allowed in legal tender (euro) from authorized providers; crypto assets are not used as a settlement currency for the game (only solutions with fiat fixation through authorized payment services are allowed).

Advertising and Communications

Advertising is subject to strict rules: prohibition of heroization of winnings, appeal to a youth audience, promises of "easy money"; warning messages and access to RG tools are required. The SRIJ monitors compliance and initiates infringement cases.

Responsible Play (RG)

The default standard is 18 +, deposit/time limits, reality checks, self-exclusion, visible warnings and help links. The regulator emphasizes the priority of responsible play and regularly updates public materials for players.

Reporting, inspections and sanctions

Operators keep daily logs and periodic reports, ensure reproducibility of calculations (replayer), store logs and provide data on demand. For violations - orders, fines, suspension of operations and interaction with law enforcement agencies; for illegal immigrants - blocking domains/payments. These mechanisms are fixed in RJO and described by the regulator.

What it means in practice

• Play only with SRIJ licensees; check for a logo/registry on the site.
• Go through KYC, turn on limits and see the rules for settlements and returns.
• Use materials about safe play on the regulator's website.

• Obtain product licenses, certify platform/games, and connect reporting APIs.
• Implement strict KYC/AML, RG-UX "in 1-2 clicks" and legal ad screening.
• Prepare a full trace (logs, replayer) and comply with the reporting/payment deadlines.

Frequent questions

Who regulates the online market? - SRIJ as part of Turismo de Portugal.

What is the "starting point" of modern online? - 2015 (entry into force of DL 66/2015/RJO).

What products are available online? - Betting, casino games (fortune games), poker/horse racing under license.

What about cryptocurrencies? - Settlements in legal tender; assets with "virtual currencies" - outside the gaming circuit, payment solutions with fiat fixation from authorized providers are allowed.

Portuguese online gambling is a licensed market under the control of SRIJ with clear rules at all levels: from technical certification and reporting APIs to advertising and responsible play. This model provides predictability for operators and security for players - with one simple condition: to play and work only in the "white" perimeter.