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Portugal's Gambling Regulator SRIJ Opens Consultation on New Online Gambling Rules

14 October 2026

Monday, 29 January 2026, 14:30

Portugal's online gambling and betting framework is regulated by the Serviço de Regulação e Inspeção de Jogos (SRIJ) under Turismo de Portugal. The SRIJ's legal framework for online gambling includes player-registration and identity-verification requirements.

The regulator has opened a 20-working-day public consultation on far-reaching draft amendments to key gaming and wagering rules. Launching on 27 January, the consultation window closes on 20 February 2026. Operators, payment providers, and other stakeholders can submit feedback via an online platform.

Coming in two parts, the proposal:

Added a few slot features,in a shift notable mainly for bringing them up to speed with habitual practices. Most prominent are slots buying extra rounds and boosting the odds. Not mentioned though: pot odds far beyond the normal return.

Generalized and explained sports betting mechanics including offers, personalised compiling of selections and cashing out-out halfway

Acknowledged and addressed market realities rather than mandating extensive changes.

The SRIJ's consultation questionnaire also invites stakeholders to comment on:

Part 1's online gaming machines amendments, which see buy bonus and bet boost features formalized in Regulation No. 828/2015, stipulate that any bonuses added can be bought at a maximum four times the lowest or chosen stake,while all but two purchases banned from a single session.

Part 2's online sports-betting amendments to Regulation No. 903-A/2015. Notably, explicit provision is made for partial and full cashout.

The proposed slot changes are a practical update to recognize the buy bonus and bet boost practices already at play in Portugal's market. Buy bonus capabilities are defined as allowing the purchase of free spins or bonus rounds, with specific caps and session limits on the stakes involved. Bet boost increases the player's bet by up to 50%, with an absolute €10 cap, and is usable for up to four consecutive spins with player confirmation.

For the amendments to sports-betting Regulation No. 903-A/2015, the proposal defines bet builder and personalized bet capabilities, while spelling out that any void selections between combined, multiple, or customized bets be treated at an odds of 1.

The SRIJ the proposals, maps to current market practices. Regulating these features means realizing the upside for the customer while minimizing riskto the operator.

This consultation opens debate on best practice in content design.How much is too much in the way of incentives? Do licensing bodies have an appropriate weighting of risks and opportunities,of reward and responsibility?.

The SRIJ does not publish figures on what this means for gambling losses.On the one hand,it is true that bonus is already available to players in a form of greater than 100% return on loss within the allowance for profit the operator is permitted at its discretion. More features might raise the limit,depending on how permissively they are implemented

While the proposed rules formalize market norms, the consultation does not signal a major loosening of the wagering system.Any long-term regulatory goal remains firmly on player protection.

The player-revenue limits established in 2019 -- minimum time, variable breaks, deposit limits, and loss ceilings -- remain the cornerstone of Portugal's online gambling regime, cited online elsewhere.

The finalized rules will outline how the new features may be deployed, operationalizing system safety imposed by the regulator,and beyond that, operating guidelines.

SRIJ incurs no public cost for this consultation.Accepting comments via a public online portal takes no more than 2.4 hours of personnel time.The consultation clause is included in the fee for the license,but the online consultation is free to all who have a registered account.