Illegal gambling in Portugal
Any site reachable from Portugal that offers betting without an SRIJ licence is operating illegally. Here is how to recognise them and what to do.
95closure notices sent by SRIJ in Q2 2026SRIJ · Q2 2026 report, p. 12 (fig. 15) · 13/10/2026
113sites notified to internet providers for blocking in Q2 2026SRIJ · Q2 2026 report, p. 12 (fig. 15) · 13/10/2026
1,834closure notices since 29/06/2015SRIJ · Q2 2026 report, p. 12 (fig. 15), 29/06/2015 to 30/06/2026 · 13/10/2026
5 yearsmaximum prison term for running or promoting online gambling without a licenceRJO, Art. 49(1) (authorised by Law 73/2014, Art. 3(a)(i))
Warning signs
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Not on the SRIJ list
The decisive test. If the domain is not on the list, it is not legal.
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«Unlimited» promotions or «guaranteed» winnings
Licensed operators may not appeal to easy winnings in their advertising.
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An address that looks like a known brand
Swapped letters, hyphens or endings other than .pt.
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Promoted by influencers with codes
Many illegal sites reach people through videos and social media.
How SRIJ acts
It notifies illegal operators to stop within 48 hours and, if they do not, notifies internet providers to block access. It also refers cases to the Public Prosecutor (6 referrals in Q2 2026).
Source: SRIJ · RJO, Art. 47(2)-(3) and Art. 31; SRIJ · The problem of illegal gambling, 13/10/2026
What the law says
| RJO, Art. 49(1) (authorised by Law 73/2014, Art. 3(a)(i)) | Running, promoting, organising or allowing online gambling without a licence is a crime: up to 5 years in prison or a fine of up to 500 days.13/10/2026 |
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| RJO, Art. 47(2)-(3) and Art. 31; SRIJ · The problem of illegal gambling | SRIJ notifies illegal operators and internet providers but does not publish its list of blocked sites.13/10/2026 |
| Advertising Code, Arts. 30 and 36 | The owner of the advertising medium is liable, with the advertiser, for unlawful ads it shows.13/10/2026 |
| Players | Fine for playing on illegal sites: [TO BE VERIFIED] |