The State Secretariat of Finance of Mato Grosso do Sul (Sefaz-MS) has republished the public tender for the operation of Lotesul for the third time.
The initiative reopens a process that had been suspended twice amid concerns raised by oversight bodies and criminal investigators.
The contract, valued at BR51.4m, is intended to select a company responsible for managing the state lottery’s technological and operational infrastructure.
The licensing process had most recently been halted in December following a ruling by the Court of Auditors of the State of Mato Grosso do Sul.
The suspension followed allegations that members of the Razuk family, based in Dourados, had created a front company to enable the participation of an alleged criminal organization in the bidding process.
According to the Public Prosecutor's Office of Mato Grosso do Sul, investigators identified businessman Roberto Razuk and his son, state deputy Roberto Razuk Filho, as the figures leading the alleged scheme.
Under the revised notice, the winning bidder will be responsible for implementing and operating an integrated lottery platform connected to payment systems.
The scope includes managing financial flows, system maintenance, customization and ongoing updates throughout the contract period.
At the end of the agreement, the state will receive full ownership of the platform’s source code and database.
The bidding session is scheduled for January 23 and will be conducted via the state website. Sefaz-MS said the updated tender reflects adjustments made to address previous concerns raised by auditors and prosecutors.
Lotesul launched an official institutional page on the state government’s website, as part of efforts to reinforce transparency and formally present the lottery’s structure to the public while the licensing process remained stalled.
Also in Brazil, Scientific Games and Brightstar have partnered to operate the state lottery in São Paulo under a 15-year agreement
