Brazil Says Betting Rules Are Working. Now the Focus Shifts to Illegal Operators

Brazil’s gambling regulator believes the country’s newly regulated betting market has already delivered clear improvements over the years when operators largely worked without formal oversight. Officials now argue that the biggest threat no longer comes from the legal industry but from businesses that continue to operate outside the rules.

Speaking during the Future of Betting in Brazil conference, Carlos Renato Xavier, deputy secretary for monitoring and supervision at the Secretariat of Prizes and Bets (SPA), described the first full year under the country’s new regulatory framework as a successful transition. In his assessment, continuous government supervision has created a safer environment for consumers while giving authorities the tools to intervene before problems become more serious.

The betting market officially entered a regulated era after reforms introduced in 2024. Since then, the SPA has spent much of its time issuing licences, developing technical standards and building the legal framework needed to oversee the industry. Xavier acknowledged that the process demanded a steep learning curve, not only for operators but also for regulators, whose teams relied on discussions with betting companies, suppliers and other industry participants while refining the system.

One advantage, he suggested, was that Brazil did not have to build its model in isolation. Officials were able to study regulatory successes and failures in more mature gambling markets before deciding which safeguards to include in the domestic framework. That experience, he argued, helped shape rules intended to avoid mistakes seen elsewhere.

The work now stretches well beyond the betting regulator itself. Xavier pointed to recent discussions in Brazil’s Congress that brought together representatives from multiple government bodies, including the Ministry of Health, advertising regulators and consumer protection authorities. The gathering reflected what officials describe as a broader state effort to monitor the sector rather than leaving responsibility solely with the SPA.

That coordinated approach is becoming increasingly important as authorities turn their attention to illegal gambling operators.

According to Xavier, recent government measures have concentrated on strengthening enforcement against unlicensed businesses. Two new regulations targeting illegal activity were published last week, part of what officials describe as a broader alignment between the presidency, the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Justice.

Rather than signalling any retreat from the country’s regulatory project, the latest actions are intended to reinforce it. Brazilian authorities maintain that stronger enforcement is necessary to reduce consumer risks, protect the economy and preserve confidence in the legal betting market.

For regulators, the message has become increasingly clear. The framework itself is largely in place. The next phase depends on keeping operators inside it and making life considerably harder for those who choose to remain outside the law.

Source: igamingbusiness.com

Brazil Says Betting Rules Are Working. Now the Focus Shifts to Illegal Operators

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