The National Secretariat for Sports Betting and Economic Development of the Ministry of Sports participated in FUTFORUM 2025, held on Friday (6), in Fortaleza. The secretariat highlighted issues regarding sports integrity and the impacts of gambling addiction in the context of sports betting.
Giovanni Rocco represented the department during the panel “The Betting World of Football: from the risks of Ludopathy to the need to guarantee the integrity of the game”.
The meeting brought together football experts to discuss the challenges of sports integrity. In addition, the event focused on the growth of betting platforms, especially after the regulation of the sector in Brazil. Furthermore, Rocco highlighted that the ministerial role goes beyond inspection and punishment activities.
Sports integrity and betting regulation in the country
Giovanni Rocco stated: “Our main objective is to inform and educate, especially the athletes, who are the main people involved in this process. Without them, there would be no betting in football. We want to broaden this debate and address sensitive issues, such as match-fixing and gambling addiction.”
The World Health Organization (WHO) recognizes gambling addiction as a disorder characterized by compulsive gambling and betting, persisting even when there are negative social, financial or psychological consequences.
On the other hand, the Federal Government maintains an interministerial working group dedicated to prevention, mental health and minimizing the social impacts resulting from this behavior.
Rocco concludes: “Our main concern is to preserve the integrity of families, protect children and adolescents and raise awareness that sports betting is a form of recreation, but that it is a dangerous leisure activity, as it involves the risk of losing money. The mental health of Brazilians is a concern of ours, and the role of the Ministry of Sports will be to collaborate in the development of measures to address the problem.”
The panel also included other experts. Jorge Borçato, president of the National Federation of Professional Football Players, and José Philomeno, auditor of the Superior Court of Sports Justice, participated. In addition, consultant Frederico Justo, a specialist in investigation and manipulation of results in sports, was present.
About FUTFORUM
FUTFORUM is an annual event held in Fortaleza that brings together professionals from the football production chain. Consequently, the meeting promotes networking and sector development, discussing topics such as communication, marketing, sports law, youth categories, women’s football and refereeing.
In 2025, in addition to sports betting, the event included female protagonism, the role of independent media, the professionalization of refereeing and the financial health of clubs.
