In Portugal, only operators licensed by the Serviço de Regulação e Inspeção de Jogos (SRIJ), the gambling regulator, may offer online betting. Checking a licence takes less than a minute.
1. Open the official list
SRIJ publishes the list on its Entidades licenciadas page (licensed operators, in Portuguese). For each brand it shows the website, the operating company and the licences it holds, with the document for each licence. The law requires SRIJ to keep this register up to date and make it public (RJO, Art. 47(5)).
Quicker: type the address into our site check, which uses the same SRIJ list.
2. Check the licence type
Licences are issued per type of game (RJO, Art. 12). To bet on football or any other sport, the operator needs a licence for apostas desportivas à cota (fixed-odds sports betting). A licence only for jogos de fortuna ou azar (games of chance) is not enough.
On the list, each licence appears with its number and type, for example «Licença n.º … – Apostas desportivas à cota». If the brand only holds other types of licence, it may not take sports bets.
3. Compare the address letter by letter
Copied sites use addresses that look like licensed ones: one letter swapped, an extra hyphen, a different ending. If the domain is not exactly the one on the list, it is not the licensed site.
Licensed operators must use a website with a «.pt» domain and redirect to it all visits from Portugal (RJO, Art. 28(1)). A «.pt» address proves nothing on its own, but a betting site with a different ending that shows up for you in Portugal is a warning sign.
4. Look for the licence reference on the site
A licensed site must state that the operator holds a licence and show SRIJ’s logo and contact details (RJO, Art. 30(f) and (g)). These are easy to copy: they are a clue, not proof. The proof is the SRIJ list.
On an unlicensed site you have no Portuguese legal protection: limits, self-exclusion and complaints to SRIJ do not apply.
If the site is not on the list
Then it has no licence to offer betting in Portugal, even if the site opens. Running or promoting online gambling without a licence is a crime (RJO, Art. 49).
The guide Spotting fake and illegal betting sites explains the warning signs and how to report a site. The Illegal gambling page sums up what SRIJ does about these sites. To see the operators licensed for sports betting, open the licensed operators.
Official sources
- SRIJ · Entidades licenciadas (licensed operators, Portuguese)Checked 13/10/2026
- SRIJ · Licenças (online gambling licences, Portuguese)Checked 13/10/2026
- SRIJ · O problema do jogo ilegal (the problem of illegal gambling, Portuguese)Checked 13/10/2026
- SRIJ · Direitos e deveres do jogador (player rights and duties, Portuguese)Checked 15/10/2026
- RJO (Annex I to Decree-Law 66/2015), consolidated text published by SRIJ: Arts. 12, 28, 30, 38, 47, 49 and 58 (Portuguese)Checked 15/10/2026
Frequently asked questions
Where do I find the licence number on the operator’s website?
Licensed operators usually show their licence number in the website footer. Always check the SRIJ list.
Can I complain about a licensed operator?
Yes. First to the operator itself: you have the right to know the operator’s identity and contact details and how to make a complaint (RJO, Art. 38(1)(f)). After that you can contact SRIJ through the channels shown on the regulator’s website.
Is a site with a .pt domain always licensed?
No. The law requires licensed operators to use a «.pt» domain (RJO, Art. 28(1)), but having a «.pt» address does not prove there is a licence. Only the SRIJ list confirms it.
The operator only holds a licence for jogos de fortuna ou azar. Can it take bets on football?
No. Licences are issued per type of game, and for sports betting the operator needs the licence for apostas desportivas à cota (fixed-odds sports betting) (RJO, Art. 12).