Thirteen sports betting companies are already operating in Rio de Janeiro, following the rules of the state government, which owns Loterj. These rules, in some aspects, differ from the guidelines of the federal government’s Prizes and Betting Secretariat.
An example is the value of the license to operate, which is R$5 million in the state alone, while the Union requires R$30 million.
Loterj notice remains open until the 14th
The Loterj accreditation process is open until the 14th. Currently, the situation is as follows:
- 4 companies are already in operation
- 1 company is awaiting payment of the grant
- 8 companies have their documentation under analysis
- More than 20 companies in the qualification process
Thus, at the end of March, the Finance requested that Loterj change parts of its notice. The main question was about the authority accrediting companies from any state or country.
The determination was that the bet had to be made in Rio de Janeiro. The Finance argued that it is up to the states to operate only in their territories.
Hazenclever Cançado, president of Loterj, responded to the Treasury’s questions. He highlighted that these doubts are based on a law from the 1940s, focused on printed tickets.
He declared that: “In the case of this authority’s notice, no violation or trespass of the territorial limit of its competence is found. Therefore, we follow flexible territoriality principles, adapted to the digital reality.”
Governor of Rio comes out in defense of Loterj
In a publication in the Official Gazette on Friday (03), the governor of Rio de Janeiro, Cláudio Castro, authorized the presentation of a Direct Action of Unconstitutionality against sections of the Sports Betting Law.
Castro will question the limitation so that economic groups or legal entities have only one concession and a single state to act. The governor also wants to overturn the ban on advertising for lotteries that operate outside the state.
