Marcelo Damato has stepped down, at his own request, from his position as Advisor at Brazil’s regulator, the Secretariat of Prizes and Betting (SPA), which sits within the country’s Finance Ministry.
The decision was formalized in a decree published in Brazil’s Official Gazette.
During his time at the SPA, Damato was involved in the development of key regulatory mechanisms for Brazil’s newly regulated betting market.
Among those initiatives was the creation of the “.bet.br” website domain, designed to clearly distinguish licensed operators from illegal betting platforms operating in the country.
Damato reflected on his experience helping to build the regulatory framework, describing it as a period of intense professional growth.
“After more than 35 years in my profession, learning an entirely new job and being part of a team that built the regulation of a market that was an absolute taboo in Brazil was a little frightening, but fascinating,” he said.
Damato also explained that his departure was motivated by personal reasons rather than professional dissatisfaction.
“The regulated betting market has just completed its first year and the situation is completely different from when everything began,” he added.
The SPA is currently reviewing dozens of license applications as operators seek to enter the regulated market, underscoring the scale and complexity of the framework Damato helped establish.
Damato concluded his message by expressing confidence in the continuity of the SPA’s work.
“I know the work at the SPA will continue to be excellent as long as this team remains.”
The SPA has recently expanded its cooperation with Brazil’s Digital Council as an effort to curb illegal betting promotion
