The Brazilian Ministry of Finance has formally instituted the National Forum for the Systematisation of Betting (SINAPO), creating a permanent platform for coordination between the Federal Government, states and the Federal District on the regulation and operation of lottery activities.
As published in the country's Official Gazette, the forum will be under Brazil’s regulator, the Secretariat of Prizes and Betting (SPA), with the stated objective of strengthening legal certainty, transparency and integrity in Brazil’s lottery and betting sector.
The initiative also places specific emphasis on bettor protection and safeguarding what the authorities describe as the “popular economy.”
SINAPO establishes an institutional coordination space rather than a new regulatory authority.
The forum does not replace the legal competencies of participating entities, nor does it create binding decisions.
Instead, it is designed to organize technical and institutional dialogue, promote the exchange of regulatory and operational best practices and improve coordination on oversight and data-sharing initiatives.
The forum will be coordinated by the SPA itself and will be composed of representatives from participating states and the Federal District.
Membership is voluntary and subject to the signing of a formal adherence term, which will outline rights and obligations for participating entities. The SPA will also act as SINAPO’s executive secretariat, responsible for convening meetings, preparing agendas and disseminating technical outputs.
As part of its structure, SINAPO will be able to create thematic working groups focused on specific regulatory or operational issues. These groups will operate for renewable three-month periods and may function simultaneously across up to five thematic areas.
Who else has done similar?
Related coordination efforts have been observed elsewhere in the region.
In Colombia, Coljuegos recently convened working sessions to update gaming machine reliability rules, while also signing international cooperation agreements with Spain’s national police.
In Brazil, the Sports Ministry has pursued integrity cooperation with industry body ANJL, and in Chile, regulators have moved toward structured cooperation with the UK gambling trade body BGC, reflecting the regional trend towards institutionalized regulatory dialogue.
Brazil’s Ministry of Health recently launched a national guide on preventing and addressing problem gambling, reinforcing the public health dimension of betting regulation
