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"No country ever reached 100%" - Brazil weighs new tech against illegal betting

At a congressional hearing, Brazil's Sports Ministry, the SPA and Anatel detailed the country's ability to block illegal betting sites.

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Brazil hearing
Key Points
Officials say 70% of the market is still outside regulation
SPA highlights limits of current blocking tools and calls for integrated tech

Brazil's push to curb illegal betting activity was the focus of a public hearing held by the Chamber of Deputies' Committee on Science, Technology and Innovation.

The session examined how federal agencies identify and block unlicensed betting sites.

It also discussed what technological and legal mechanisms still need to evolve.

The debate was requested by Deputy Fausto Pinato, who noted that despite the regulation of the betting market, Brazilian users continue to access offshore platforms operating outside the national framework.

Officials from the Sports Ministry, Anatel (Brazil's telecom agency) and Brazil's regulator, the Secretariat of Prizes and Betting (SPA) were invited to clarify the challenges.

Giovanni Rocco, Brazil's National Secretary for Sports Betting and Economic Development in Sport, underscored the human impact of match-fixing schemes and the need to educate athletes early.

"Our concern is to educate the athletes so that they'd understand what they're putting at risk. They are the most sensitive part of the process," he said.

Rocco also explained ongoing efforts to train police forces, including the first national technical meeting on match-fixing investigations, attended by Civil and Federal Police delegates.

SPA Deputy Secretary Fábio Macorin presented the mechanisms currently used to block illegal operators and acknowledged both progress and limitations.

He explained that cooperation now extends across a wide network, including the Central Bank, Caixa, the National Council for Advertising and more.

"What we need is to develop the system and, through technology, improve these processes to reach the ideal, even though no country ever reached 100%" he said, adding that the unregulated market dropped from nearly 100% in late 2024 to about 70% today.

The hearing finished with Deputy Pinato offering continued legislative support as agencies work to refine Brazil's ecosystem.

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Brazil's Sports Ministry has recently signed an integrity agreement with the National Association of Games and Lotteries

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