Nikolai Timofejev
15 years in FinTech and payments. Maps your business model to the right licence scope and leads the file all the way to the Comissão de Jogos decision, including banking and payment rails.
Get a gambling license in Portugal.
Portugal licenses online casino and betting on application under Decreto-Lei 66/2015, and the field is still small: the SRIJ register of 14 September 2026 lists 19 operators holding 35 licences. A casino or betting licence costs €14,481.10 under the 2026 fee schedule and lasts three years, renewable three years at a time. The heavier cost is the €600,000 the law locks in two guarantees - €500,000 for player balances and legal obligations, €100,000 for the special online gaming tax. Every licensed site runs on .pt.
27 yrs
on the international marketon the market
60+
in-house specialistsspecialists
400+
Licenses obtainedlicenses obtained
Updated
Portugal in brief
A .pt market that opens on application.
Online gambling in Portugal runs under Decreto-Lei n.º 66/2015 of 29 April 2015, which approved the Regime Jurídico dos Jogos e Apostas Online (the RJO) and was amended by six acts between 2017 and 2020, from Lei 13/2017 to Lei 2/2020. SRIJ, the regulator inside Turismo de Portugal, supervises. The Comissão de Jogos issues the licences, and there are four kinds: sports betting at fixed odds, horse-race betting (mutual or fixed-odds), bingo, and jogos de fortuna ou azar - casino games. RJO art. 20 sets the clock. A licence is valid for three years from issue and can be extended at the operator's request for further three-year periods, provided the request arrives 90 days before expiry with taxes regularised, fees paid, no fines outstanding and no serious compliance failures. Applicants are sociedades anónimas or equivalent companies seated in an EU Member State; a foreign one needs a branch or office in Portugal.
The money sits in two texts. RJO art. 18(1) asks for two guarantees, lodged as a bank deposit or an autonomous bank guarantee: €500,000 for the operator's legal obligations, in particular the estimated balances of player accounts, and €100,000 for the special online gaming tax, the IEJO. Portaria 211/2015, with amounts updated on 1 March 2026, prices everything else. A betting or casino licence costs €14,481.10 (casino adds €2,413.52 per new game type), bingo €2,413.52, and homologating the technical system €21,721.65 plus €2,413.52 per game category. The licensed site must sit on a .pt domain (art. 28(1)). Players connecting from Portugal are routed through SRIJ's entry and registration infrastructure (art. 32(2)). Few have done all of it: the register of 14 September 2026 lists 24 casino licences, 10 sports-betting licences, one bingo licence and none for horse racing.
Four licences under Decreto-Lei 66/2015: casino games, sports betting, horse-race betting and bingo. €14,481.10 per casino or betting licence, €500,000 + €100,000 in guarantees, a 3-year term renewed 90 days ahead, .pt domain only.
Open application and a small field: 19 operators and 35 licences on the register of 14 September 2026. IEJO rate confirmed per category. Run from our own Funchal office.
The two routes
Casino games - or betting.
Portugal has four licence types, and the register shows where operators go: 24 of the 35 licences are for casino games, 10 for sports betting. We fix the categories first, because each one adds its own homologation fee of €2,413.52.
Casino games - or sports and horse-race betting.
01 - CASINO GAMES LICENCE
Jogos de fortuna ou azar
The licence for the online casino categories SRIJ authorises. It costs €14,481.10 plus €2,413.52 for each new game type, every category is homologated before it goes live, and the term is three years.
The licence for the online casino categories SRIJ authorises. It costs €14,481.10 plus €2,413.52 for each new game type, every category is homologated before it goes live, and the term is three years.
- ✓Online casino categories
- ✓€14,481.10 licence fee (2026)
- ✓+€2,413.52 per new game type
- ✓Homologation from €21,721.65
- ✓3-year term, renewable
- ✓24 licences on the register
02 - SPORTS AND HORSE-RACE BETTING
€14,481.10 eachThe betting licences
Two separate licences under the RJO: sports betting at fixed odds, and horse-race betting, mutual or fixed-odds. Each costs €14,481.10. On 14 September 2026 ten sports-betting licences were in force and not one for horse racing.
Sports betting at fixed odds and horse-race betting, €14,481.10 each. Ten sports licences held, no horse-race licence.
- ✓Sports betting at fixed odds
- ✓Horse racing, mutual or fixed-odds
- ✓€14,481.10 per licence
- ✓Same €600,000 in guarantees
- ✓10 sports licences held
- ✓No horse-race licence held
Costs and timelines are confirmed for your case before any work begins. Licence and homologation fees follow Portaria 211/2015 as updated on 1 March 2026; the guarantees and the platform work are itemised in your quote.
Why Portugal
A small field with a published price.
Portugal is a closed .pt market with an open door: any company that meets the RJO may apply, and only 19 hold licences.
✓
Application, not tender
The RJO licenses on application, with no call window to wait for. Retabet and Play Jogo were authorised on 30 July 2026.No tender, no call window.
✓
A growing book
SRIJ's release for the second quarter of 2026 reports online gross revenue up 14.4% on the same quarter of 2025.Gross revenue up 14.4% in Q2 2026.
✓
Few competitors
19 operators and 35 licences on the register of 14 September 2026, all trading on .pt sites.19 operators, 35 licences.
✓
An EU seat is enough
A sociedade anónima or equivalent seated anywhere in the EU may apply, with at least 60% of its capital in nominative shares. The local anchor is a branch or office in Portugal.A Portuguese branch is the anchor.
✓
Costs written down
Licence and homologation fees sit in Portaria 211/2015, both guarantees in RJO art. 18(1). The entry budget is known before filing.Fees fixed by Portaria 211/2015.
✓
A three-year leash
The licence lasts three years. Each renewal is requested 90 days ahead, and art. 20 wants the taxes regularised and no fines outstanding.Renewal requested 90 days ahead.
How it compares
How Portugal differs from other routes.
Licence fees are low and the term is short. The guarantees are where Portugal gets expensive.
Portugal vs other jurisdictions
| Feature |  Portugal | Other jurisdictions |
|---|---|---|
| Entry | Open application to SRIJ | Calls in Spain, tenders in Italy |
| Licence term | 3 years, renewable | 10 years + 10 in Spain |
| Guarantees | €500,000 + €100,000 | €2M per Spanish general licence, €2.6M from 2027 |
| Gaming tax | IEJO, set by category | 22% of GGR in Sweden |
Entry
PortugalOpen application to SRIJ
Other jurisdictionsCalls in Spain, tenders in Italy
Licence term
Portugal3 years, renewable
Other jurisdictions10 years + 10 in Spain
Guarantees
Portugal€500,000 + €100,000
Other jurisdictions€2M per Spanish general licence, €2.6M from 2027
Gaming tax
PortugalIEJO, set by category
Other jurisdictions22% of GGR in Sweden
Country by country
| Country | License type | Taxation | Requirements |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portugal | SRIJ casino · betting · bingo | IEJO by category | €600k guarantees, .pt domain |
 Spain | DGOJ general + singular | Single IAJ rate on net revenue | €100k capital, €2M guarantee (€2.6M from 2027) |
 Malta | MGA B2C · B2B | 5% eff. + contributions | €100k/€40k capital |
 Sweden | Spelinspektionen licences | 22% GGR | SEK 230k fee, Spelpaus |
PortugalLicense typeSRIJ casino · betting · bingo
TaxationIEJO by category
Requirements€600k guarantees, .pt domain
SpainLicense typeDGOJ general + singular
TaxationSingle IAJ rate on net revenue
Requirements€100k capital, €2M guarantee (€2.6M from 2027)
MaltaLicense typeMGA B2C · B2B
Taxation5% eff. + contributions
Requirements€100k/€40k capital
SwedenLicense typeSpelinspektionen licences
Taxation22% GGR
RequirementsSEK 230k fee, Spelpaus
Before you apply
Requirements for the Portugal licence.Requirements for the licence.
SRIJ examines the company, its owners, its money and its platform. A file that passes contains the ten items below.
01
Company form - a sociedade anónima or equivalent seated in an EU Member State, with a branch or office in Portugal if it is foreign.
02
Identifiable shares - at least 60% of the share capital in nominative shares (RJO art. 26(6)), and any share transfer notified within 30 days.
03
Tax and social security - the position in Portugal regularised before filing, and again at every three-year renewal.
04
Fitness and capacity - idoneidade plus technical, economic and financial capacity, evidenced for the company and the people behind it.
05
Guarantees - €500,000 for legal obligations and player balances and €100,000 for the IEJO, by bank deposit or autonomous bank guarantee (RJO art. 18(1)).
06
Technical system - certified and homologated by SRIJ, at €21,721.65 for the first homologation plus €2,413.52 per game category.
07
Domain and routing - a site under a .pt domain (art. 28(1)), with Portuguese traffic routed through SRIJ's entry and registration infrastructure (art. 32(2)).
08
Dedicated bank account - one account at an EU bank, used only for online gaming transactions.
09
Responsible-gaming plan - measures under RJO art. 7 to keep minors and vulnerable groups from registering, and a named responsible manager.
10
AML programme - compliance with Lei n.º 83/2017, wired into onboarding and payment monitoring from day one.
01
SA or equivalent, EU seat.
02
60% nominative shares.
03
Tax position regularised.
04
Fitness and capacity shown.
05
€500k + €100k guarantees.
06
Platform homologated.
07
.pt site, SRIJ routing.
08
EU gaming-only account.
09
Art. 7 responsible-gaming plan.
10
AML under Lei 83/2017.
Reflects Decreto-Lei 66/2015 as amended, Portaria 211/2015 and SRIJ guidance as of 2026.Decreto-Lei 66/2015 + Portaria 211/2015, as of 2026.
How it works
From first call to the SRIJ register.
01
Categories and structure
Casino, sports betting, horse racing or bingo, plus the EU seat and the branch - fixed in writing before drafting starts.Fixed in writing.
02
Company and bank
Sociedade anónima with 60% nominative shares, the EU gaming-only account open and the guarantees lined up with the bank.Branch, account, guarantees.
03
Platform homologation
Technical system certified and homologated: €21,721.65 plus €2,413.52 per game category.€21,721.65 + per category.
04
SRIJ review
SRIJ tests fitness and capacity and puts its questions. We plan for 6-12 months from filing to licence.6-12 months realistic.
05
Licence and .pt launch
€14,481.10 per casino or betting licence, the .pt site live behind SRIJ routing, and the renewal diarised for month 33.Renewal diarised.
Quick facts
RegulatorSRIJ
FrameworkDecreto-Lei 66/2015 (RJO)
Licence fee€14,481.10
Bingo licence€2,413.52
Homologation€21,721.65 + €2,413.52 per category
Guarantees€500,000 + €100,000
Licence term3 years, renewable
Realistic timeline6-12 months
SRIJ examines two things, the company and the gaming system, and the system goes through homologation one category at a time. We run both tracks at once.
On the ground in Portugal
Run from our own Funchal office.
Prifinance - Portugal
Funchal · Rua da Alegria 31, 1F
Rua da Alegria 31, 1F, Madeira
01
Company and branch
The EU sociedade anónima and its Portuguese branch, with at least 60% of the capital in nominative shares - set up for the licence from the start.Built for the licence.
02
The SRIJ file
The application, the capacity evidence for company and owners, the art. 7 responsible-gaming plan and the AML pack, drafted end to end and defended through SRIJ's questions.Drafted and defended.
03
Homologation
Certification of the technical system run with your platform supplier at €2,413.52 per game category, scheduled against your launch date.Run with your supplier.
04
Guarantees and banking
The €600,000 in guarantees arranged with the bank and the gaming-only EU account opened in parallel with the file.€600,000 with the bank.
We also have offices in
Tallinn
Estonia
Väike-Paala tn 1
Vilnius
Lithuania
Gedimino pr. 2
Prague
Czech Republic
Vlkova 532/8, Žižkov
Dubai
UAE
33 Level, Al Saqr Business Tower
London
United Kingdom
7 Bell Yard
Budapest
Hungary
Korányi Sándor u. 4
Istanbul
Turkey
Perpa Ticaret Merkezi, A Blok
Good to know
Taxation of gaming operators in Portugal.
Online gaming carries a special tax of its own, the IEJO, written into the RJO category by category.
The IEJO
The imposto especial de jogo online sits in RJO Chapter VI, arts. 88-91: art. 89 covers casino games, art. 90 sports betting and art. 91 horse-race betting.RJO arts. 88-91.
Rate confirmed per quote
Each category has its own article. We confirm the current rate and base with SRIJ before quoting and model them against your product mix.Confirmed per quote.
A €100,000 tax guarantee
One of the two RJO art. 18(1) guarantees exists only to secure payment of the IEJO, lodged as a bank deposit or an autonomous guarantee.Secures the IEJO.
Gross revenue, defined
RJO art. 4(u) defines receita bruta as the amount staked minus the prizes awarded - the figure SRIJ's quarterly releases track.Stakes minus prizes.
Stamp duty in the picture
Decreto-Lei 66/2015 also amended the stamp-duty table, the Tabela Geral do Imposto do Selo. We check its reach on your products per case.Checked per product.
Corporate tax per structure
Corporate income tax and VAT depend on where the sociedade anónima sits and how the Portuguese branch is set up, so we model them per structure.Modelled per structure.
Tax summary
Gaming taxIEJO, RJO arts. 88-91
IEJO rateConfirmed per category in the quote
Tax guarantee€100,000
Player-balance guarantee€500,000
Corporate tax and VATModelled per structure
*As of 2026 per Decreto-Lei 66/2015 and SRIJ. Group and founder-level outcomes are modelled per structure.
Turnkey professional support
Experienced lawyers and international consultants.
We provide end-to-end support, from company registration and the application file to regulatory interaction and compliance oversight - with an individualized approach to each client.
Oleksii Kindratenko
Builds the application itself: sociedade anónima and Portuguese branch, AML/KYC policy pack, capital structure and tax registrations. His document sets are the reason reviews finish in months, not years.
Eugeniu Bevziuc
First point of contact for international founders. Runs the whole setup remotely, across time zones and languages - from the first call to a live, licensed operator.
Follow Prifinance
Active across our channels.
Portugal · SRIJ
Launch your gaming project in Portugal with expert support.
Full-service assistance - from the sociedade anónima and platform homologation to the SRIJ licence and every three-year renewal - run through our own Funchal office.
Get a consultation →Free legal opinion
Is Portugal the right fit for your project?
Our legal team will analyze your case at no cost and provide a written legal opinion: which jurisdiction, licence scope, or route fits your business.
Written assessment within 2-5 business days
Request a free conclusion →FAQ
The Portugal gaming licence, answered.
What licences does Portugal issue for online gambling?+
Four, under Decreto-Lei 66/2015: sports betting at fixed odds, horse-race betting (mutual or fixed-odds), bingo, and casino games, called jogos de fortuna ou azar. The Comissão de Jogos issues them and SRIJ supervises. One operator can hold several.
How much does a Portuguese licence cost?+
€14,481.10 for a betting or casino licence under Portaria 211/2015 as updated on 1 March 2026, €2,413.52 for bingo, and €21,721.65 plus €2,413.52 per game category to homologate the platform. The €500,000 and €100,000 guarantees come on top.
What are the two guarantees for?+
Under RJO art. 18(1), €500,000 secures the operator's legal obligations, in particular the estimated balances of player accounts, and €100,000 secures payment of the special online gaming tax. Both are lodged as a bank deposit or an autonomous bank guarantee.
How long is the licence valid?+
Three years from issue. RJO art. 20 lets the operator extend it for further three-year periods if the request is filed 90 days before expiry and the operator still meets the capacity requirements, has its taxes regularised, its fees paid and no fines outstanding.
Can a foreign company hold the licence?+
Yes, if it is a sociedade anónima or equivalent seated in an EU Member State. A foreign applicant needs a branch or office in Portugal, and at least 60% of its share capital must be in identifiable, nominative shares.
What is the gaming tax?+
The imposto especial de jogo online (IEJO), set in RJO arts. 88-91 with a separate article per category. We confirm the current rate and base with SRIJ before quoting. Its payment is secured by the €100,000 guarantee.
How long does licensing take?+
We plan for 6-12 months. Most of that is homologation of the technical system and SRIJ's review of fitness and capacity, so we run the two in parallel rather than one after the other.
Do I need a .pt domain?+
Yes. RJO art. 28(1) puts the licensed site under a .pt domain, and art. 32(2) routes every player connecting from Portugal through SRIJ's entry and registration infrastructure. All 19 licensed operators trade on .pt sites.
Portugal or Spain for an Iberian betting operator?+
Spain is the larger register, 77 operators against 19, and its general licence runs 10 years. But Spain grants general licences only when a call is opened, and the guarantee per general licence goes from €2,000,000 to €2,600,000 on 1 January 2027. Portugal takes applications without a call, against €600,000, for three years.
Why Prifinance for Portugal?+
We run Portuguese files from our own office in Funchal, at Rua da Alegria 31, 1F. We build the sociedade anónima and the branch, take the platform through homologation, arrange the €600,000 in guarantees with the bank and diarise each renewal 90 days out.
What licences?+
Casino, sports, horse racing, bingo.
Cost?+
€14,481.10 casino or betting + homologation.
Guarantees?+
€500k + €100k.
Term?+
3 years, renewable.
Foreign company?+
EU seat + Portuguese branch.
Gaming tax?+
IEJO - rate in the quote.
How long?+
6-12 months realistic.
.pt domain?+
Required, art. 28(1).
Or Spain?+
Spain larger; Portugal by application.
Why you?+
Own Funchal office.
Client notes
Google4.7★★★★★
Founders who wanted it done right.
Google4.7★★★★★
“As a software development crew at FewMoreTaps OÜ, we've had the pleasure of working with Prifinance on some key financial moves.First of all, navigating the world of corporate banking and finance can be a maze, but Prifinance made it feel like a walk in the park. They helped us set up a corporate bank account without the hassle of jumping on a plane or drowning in paperwork. Everything was done remotely, smoothly…”
Google
“I had their assistance in company registration and I would recommend them. They were answering all my clarification during the process and offering all their supportThank you Daniel and Irinia”
Google
“We found PRIFINANCE COMPANYvia the Internet and asked for help in organizing the opening of their company in Estonia. PRIFINANCE COMPANY specialists helped us a lot with this. Their professional, competent approach and knowledge of their business left us with only the best impressions.”
Google
“I'm thrilled with my experience with PriFinance! They helped me obtain a crypto license in Estonia without any hassle. The team was super understanding and always available to answer my questions and assist. It was great to see how they put effort into preparing the documents to ensure everything went smoothly. I'm delighted with the outcome and highly recommend PriFinance to anyone looking to get a license…”
Google
“Opening an account with Prifinance in a Swiss bank was such an easy and quick process that I was shocked. It all started with the first call, where I received detailed guidance on the required documents and the entire procedure.One of the key highlights was their attention to detail. As someone who usually gets tangled up in paperwork, I was pleasantly surprised when they sent me all the documents and…”
Google
“I recently had the pleasure of working with Boris.. and I must say, it was a fantastic experience. Boris went above and beyond to assist me with my residency needs. His professionalism, knowledge, and dedication truly stood out. I highly recommend working with Boris and the team!”
Google
Start today
One message away from your Portugal gambling licence.
Get a free legal opinion on your project - our legal team will analyze your case at no cost and provide a written legal opinion: which jurisdiction, licence scope, or route fits your business.Free legal opinion: which Portuguese licence fits your project and what it will cost.
✓Written legal opinion within 2-5 business days - free of charge✓A clear recommendation on the right licence scope, not a sales pitch✓Transparent fixed fees, confirmed up front✓EN · RU · ES speaking team
Prifinance is an independent law and advisory firm. We are not a regulator and are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or acting on behalf of the Serviço de Regulação e Inspeção de Jogos (SRIJ) or any other public authority. Authorisations are granted by, and obtained directly from, the competent authorities.