The elaboration of a regulatory entity for the sector will not be possible through the PM for the regulation of sports betting. But it is worth mentioning that it is essential to present a bill for this purpose.
The urgency of establishing a regulatory body for the sector became clear last Tuesday (18), when Operation Maximum Penalty II took place, which resulted in the arrest of three individuals suspected of involvement in match manipulation, in addition to carrying out 20 orders search and seizure operations in 16 cities in six different states: São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Pernambuco, Santa Catarina, Rio Grande do Sul and Goiás.
According to an investigation carried out by the Public Ministry of Goiás (MPGO), through the Special Action Group to Combat Organized Crime (Gaeco) and the Institutional Security and Intelligence Coordination (CSI), 11 matches were the target of attempts to corrupt players with in order to manipulate situations, such as receiving yellow or red cards, penalty kicks or combined results in the first half of the match.
In addition to the 2022 Brazilian Championship, match-fixing attempts were identified in the state competitions of São Paulo, Rio Grande do Sul, Goiás and Mato Grosso in 2023.
Working together to regulate the sports betting market
The federal government intends to promote a bill that will establish a regulatory agency for fixed odds sports betting, the technical designation given to this type of bet. The objective of this entity would be to deal with the prevention of money laundering associated with games, receive notifications, investigate unusual bets that indicate possible manipulation and promote educational campaigns on responsible gaming, among other tasks.
With this objective in mind, the Ministry of Finance works together with the Ministry of Sports to create the future regulatory agency after the sports betting regulation PM. In addition to the need for dialogue with Congress, it is crucial to establish a basic structure and provide for an adequate budget for the new body to be able to fulfill its attributions.
The creation of the regulatory agency is supported by the bookmakers, who are the main victims when sports fraud occurs. In addition, sports should be more involved in this initiative, with the participation of the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF), state federations and clubs.
With the regulation, the federal government aims that 70 to 100 companies pay the licensing fee in the amount of R$ 30 million, which will be valid for five years, and obtain their regularization in Brazil. Companies without a license will not be able to invest in advertising or sponsorship in the country.
