Entities linked to the betting sector requested support from the Federal Government to negotiate with technology companies, such as Google and Apple, the release of betting applications in their virtual stores.
The request came from the Betting and Fantasy Sport Association (ABFS) and was directed to members of the Ministry of Treasury, which has a specific secretariat to deal with matters related to the betting market.
According to the justification presented by the entity, access to applications in digital stores would be a way to combat illegal betting sites. Currently, these platforms operate in Brazil without official authorization, but continue to have a large presence in the market.
According to the organizations, if the government can convince Apple and Google, it will have one more tool to limit the reach of companies that operate illegally. According to the associations, these unregulated platforms still account for a significant portion of the national market.
Today, neither Apple nor Google authorize betting site apps in their respective stores. Some companies in the sector only offer downloads of their apps through their own official websites.
Google, for example, only allows apps related to horse racing betting and Caixa Econômica Federal lotteries. In other countries, the store allows apps from this sector, as long as they do not use the company’s own payment methods.
Official stores, in turn, offer more security and convenience when downloading. Since applications are checked before being released, the user has greater assurance that the file is free of viruses and virtual threats.
About the Association of Betting and Fantasy Sport (ABFS)
The Betting and Fantasy Sports Association (ABFS) represents companies in the betting and fantasy games sector that operate in Brazil. The entity’s main objective is to defend the interests of the segment, in addition to collaborating with public bodies in the development of regulatory policies.
It works to promote the responsible development of the activity, encourage transparent practices and combat illegal operators. ABFS also seeks to expand dialogue with government and technology institutions to ensure greater legal security and reliability for platform users.
