Brazil is expected to leave the global ranking of countries with the most matches suspected of match-fixing in football, after two consecutive years. This is the expectation according to the number of episodes evaluated between the months of January and October this year.
In other words, the country recorded a 45% drop in games suspected of match-fixing in 2024. This comparison is made to the same period last year, according to the sports technology company Sportradar.
This significant decline is attributed to preventive measures adopted by clubs, federations and the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF). Additionally, it includes monitoring and educating athletes and coaches.
However, experts warn that it is still too early to guarantee that this drop is a direct consequence of these actions. There is an expectation that regulation of the sports betting and online gaming market will help to further reduce cases.
Currently, the Senate has a CPI investigating cases of fraud in national football. Recently, a representative of the Federal Police cited the need to increase punishments for those involved in illicit and unsportsmanlike actions in order to preserve the integrity of national competitions.
Measures taken by state federations against manipulation of results
State federations, which organize most regional championships, especially in lower divisions, have intensified efforts against manipulation.
For example, the Alagoas Football Federation adopted educational platforms to raise awareness among players about the risks of betting and corruption. The Minas Gerais Football Federation formed a partnership with the Public Ministry to monitor suspicious cases and prevent manipulation.
Other federations, such as Catarinense, have also invested in technology to identify suspicious betting patterns in real time. Education continues to be one of the fundamental pillars of these initiatives.
In addition, clubs in Series A of the Brazilian Championship are promoting workshops to raise awareness among players about integrity in sport and the risks involved in sports betting.
Global Suspicious Gaming Rates
Despite these advances, Brazil still has one of the highest global rates of suspicious gambling. The country has 1.21% of the matches analyzed, showing signs of manipulation, according to data from Sportradar.
The number is almost double the global average, which is 0.63%. The CBF, through its Integrity Unit, created the “Football Passport”, a platform that monitors suspicious athletes and clubs. Thus, this initiative serves to collaborate with public and sports authorities to combat corruption.
The Federal Police and the Public Ministry have intensified investigations, and the Betting CPI was extended to hear more reports and accumulate even more data, as a more effective dissuasive measure.
Collaboration between federations, the public sector and the betting market is seen as crucial to combating this growing problem, with initiatives being expanded in different regions of the country.
