André Fufuca, Minister of Sports, wrote an opinion article in the Folha de São Paulo newspaper last Wednesday (13). The minister highlighted the importance of regulating sports betting in Brazil, highlighting the recent report by IBIA (Betting Integrity Association) on suspicious betting alerts.
Furthermore, it addressed measures that helped structure, monitor and prevent fraudulent practices, such as match-fixing and money laundering.
Actions to ensure the integrity of sports betting
The recent IBIA report revealed 42 suspicious betting alerts in the third quarter of 2024. Of these, two occurred in Brazil: one in football and the other in tennis.
This scenario, according to Fufuca, highlights the growing need for regulation of sports betting in the country. So, with the popularization of “bets”, especially after Law 13,756/18, the Brazilian government has sought measures to guarantee a safer and more transparent environment for bettors.
Thus, through Law 14,790/23, 20 ordinances were published to ensure the proper functioning of betting. All of them are expected to come into force in January 2025.
But the government also created the Prizes and Betting Secretariat, linked to the Ministry of Finance, responsible for:
- adopt practices to prevent compulsive gambling
- protect vulnerable people
- carry out the necessary inspection
Furthermore, the Secretariat of Sports Betting and Economic Development of Sports, which belongs to the Ministry of Sports, has the mission of preserving sporting integrity. This mainly includes:
- monitoring of manipulation of results
- the allocation of resources to athletes, clubs and sports entities
Therefore, in cases of suspected manipulation, the Secretariat must notify the Federal Police and the Treasury Prizes and Betting Secretariat.
Partnerships to ensure ethics in betting and sport
In recent months, the Ministry of Sports has signed important agreements with monitoring bodies, a significant step towards ensuring ethics in sport. Such agreements aim to implement monitoring systems capable of identifying fraudulent practices, such as match-fixing.
Therefore, these systems are fundamental to preserving the credibility of competitions and public trust. In addition, the ministry also published an integrity ordinance, reaffirming its commitment to healthy and competitive sport.
Thus, the objective is to identify and punish attempts to tamper with results. This will inhibit illegal practices and promote a culture of prevention and responsibility among everyone involved in sporting competitions.
“Over the last six years, Brazil has experimented with sports betting without state supervision. With the new regulations, the sector will be under government surveillance. Without this control, the country could become a leader in match-fixing — and that is certainly not the title the Ministry of Sports wants for Brazil.” – concluded the Minister of Sports, André Fufuca.
