Brazil’s licensed betting sector has criticized the Federal Government’s decision to restrict access to documents related to betting license approvals, with industry representatives arguing that transparency should remain a central pillar of regulation.
According to reports published by local news outlets, the restrictions covered documents related to licensing and authorization processes, including technical opinions, legal assessments, corporate structures and information regarding license fee payments.
The Brazilian Institute for Responsible Gaming (IBJR), which represents licensed operators in the country, publicly opposed the measure.
In a statement, the association said transparency in licensing procedures is fundamental to the development of a sustainable regulated market and argued that authorization processes should follow principles of publicity, traceability and accountability.
“The regulation of the sector was designed precisely to replace an environment of informality with a model based on clear rules, supervision, consumer protection and the fight against criminality,” the organisation said.
The Ministry of Finance previously justified the restrictions on the grounds of protecting personal information relating to company shareholders and beneficial owners.
Authorities also argued that reviewing and redacting documents individually would require a disproportionate administrative effort given current staffing and technological limitations within the Secretariat of Prizes and Betting (SPA).
However, following criticism from industry stakeholders and media outlets, the Ministry of Finance announced plans to publish more than 25,000 documents related to completed betting license applications.
The initiative was announced by Executive Secretary Dario Durigan and SPA Secretary Daniele Cardoso, who said the documents will be released after personal and legally protected information has been removed.
According to the Ministry, the publication effort aims to increase transparency while maintaining compliance with Brazil’s data protection legislation.
The SPA has scheduled a public hearing to gather industry feedback on a new regulatory framework for suppliers serving fixed-odds betting operators
