Wetgeving

Brazil – Sports betting bill could be on Lula’s agenda

According to Brazilian journalist Paulo Vinicius Coelho lawmakers could look at regulating sports betting after the carnival season. The well known sports journalist stated via news outlets Folha and CBN Esportes Brasil that laws are now under review, and could be signed by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

“The urgency is to regulate betting sites in Brazil. It’s very urgent. The manipulation scandal in Serie B matches shows the consequence and irresponsibility of four years of websites that act with authorization, but without regulation,”

According to Coelho the government’s idea is to raise taxes via regulation and fight match-fixing after the recent scandal.

Regulation would help protect the integrity of sports as operators would be required to report unusual betting patterns while the money generated by licensed sites would stay in Brazil said the journalist.

According to Paulo Vinícius Coelho the text of the new sports betting measures was written by José Francisco Manssur, advisor to the Special Secretariat of the Ministry of Finance. Last week Manssur had meetings at The Brazilian Olympic Committee and The Brazilian Football Confederation. The new measures could be analysed by the cabinet and signed by Lula once carnival is over later this month.

Het matchfixingschandaal werd ontdekt in de laatste ronde van de Serie B van het Braziliaanse kampioenschap van 2022. Het gebeurde op 6 november, maar het is zo pas onlangs is het plan aan het licht gekomen. Er worden drie wedstrijden onderzocht.