Ministry's New Structure for Sports Betting Created by Presidential Decree in Brazil

According to the new Regimental Structure of the Ministry of Sport, the National Secretariat for Sports Betting and the Economic Development of Sport will have four directorates: Development; Entrepreneurship and the Digital Economy of Sport; e-Sport; Monitoring and Evaluation of Sports Betting; and Integrity in Sports Betting.

Sports Minister André Fufuca highlighted through Empresa Brasil de Comunicação (EBC) that the secretariat's main objective is to monitor and supervise all sports betting-related issues.

‘We're going to create a structure within the ministry that will monitor and inspect the sport. To do this, we will work with the necessary integrity and transparency. In addition, we are following the Federal Senate's CPI on the Manipulation of Games and Sports Betting, talking to Congress about the issue and we have even suggested bills aimed at curbing both the sportsman who practises this criminal act and any kind of external author who encourages the practice,’ said the minister.

Responsibilities of the National Secretariat

The National Secretariat for Sports Betting and the Economic Development of Sport is responsible for: drawing up studies and planning, coordinating and supervising actions that promote the development of the sports market, in order to provide access to equipment and structures and the improvement of national sport at all levels.

In the area of sports betting, the new National Secretariat will be responsible for ensuring the integrity of the unpredictability of sporting events and results, as well as planning, coordinating and implementing partnerships with public and private bodies and organisations, both national and international, to maintain the integrity of sports betting, in order to detect, combat and prevent manipulation of sporting events and results.

The new ministry body will be responsible for working in partnership with other federal, state, federal district and municipal public administration bodies to prevent and combat the manipulation of sports betting, within the scope of the Secretariat's competences.

In addition, it must notify the Ministry of Finance's Prize and Betting Secretariat of any evidence of a fact that undermines the integrity and unpredictability of sporting events and results, when they are subject to fixed-odds betting, and supervise the analysis, related to sports policies, of requests for authorisation to commercially exploit the fixed-odds betting lottery modality, for the purposes of approval, under the terms of current legislation.

It must also define and keep up-to-date and accessible to the public the list of sports and sports organisations that can be the object of bets on real sporting events.

Monitoring and Evaluation Board

The Sports Betting Monitoring and Evaluation Board is responsible for carrying out the analysis, related to sports policies, of requests for authorisation to commercially exploit the fixed-odds lottery modality, for the purposes of consent, under the terms of the legislation in force. It should also establish, in conjunction with the other competent bodies, procedures and requirements for sports-related policies for authorisations for the commercial exploitation of fixed-odds lottery betting, under the terms of current legislation; and plan, implement and coordinate actions and policies for monitoring sports competitions that are the subject of sports betting.

Sports Betting Integrity Board

The Sports Betting Integrity Board will be responsible for formulating guidelines, rules and policies in order to combat and prevent manipulation mechanisms and actions related to sports betting, as well as promoting, coordinating and fostering studies and research aimed at producing and disseminating knowledge in the area of sports betting. The directorate will also work together with public and private bodies and entities to promote public policies on sports betting integrity and establish policies and procedures to raise awareness and sensitise society about the impacts and risks related to sports betting.

Interministerial Ordinance defines the competences of the Ministries of Finance and Sports in the management of sports betting

In May of this year, an Interministerial Ordinance was published regulating the attributions and procedures of the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Sport and the Federal Attorney General's Office in the application of the law on fixed-odds betting or sports betting.

According to the regulation, the administrative procedure for requesting authorisation to operate fixed odds betting commercially throughout the country will be the responsibility of the Ministry of Finance's Betting and Prizes Secretariat - SPA/MF.

The SPA/MF is responsible for authorising the commercial exploitation of sports betting, after obtaining the consent of the Ministry of Sport, which will express its opinion within 45 days of submission. The application for authorisation to commercially operate the fixed-odds lottery will be registered in the Betting Management System - SIGAP and submitted for prior examination by the SPA/MF. After the prior examination, the application for authorisation will be submitted electronically to the Ministry of Sport. The Ministry of Sport's technical team will have access to SIGAP at a level compatible with analysing and commenting.

In the event of a disagreement between the prior examination carried out by the Ministry of Finance's Prize and Betting Secretariat and the Ministry of Sport's statement, the matter will be submitted to the Federal Attorney General.