LATAM

Sportradar has signed a partnership with the Brazilian Ministry of Sports, which is looking for technological avenues to protect sports integrity after the betting market launch this year.

The new technical cooperation agreement will oversee information exchange related to the gambling market and the implementation of joint initiatives to fight match-fixing.

Andreas Krannich, EVP, Integrity and Regulatory Services, Sportradar commented: “Establishing this partnership with the Ministry of Sports is an important milestone in strengthening sports integrity in Brazil.

“As a global integrity leader, leveraging cutting-edge technology to prevent and combat match-fixing, we believe that protecting competitions requires coordinated action between the public and private sectors.

“Through this collaboration, Sportradar continues to reaffirm its commitment to a more transparent and safer sports environment for the athletes and all the stakeholders involved in Brazilian sport.”

Sports integrity a key focus for new regime
Sports safeguarding was written in as a key requirement of Brazil’s new ‘Bets’ regulatory regime, which governs the nationwide betting market launched on 1 January 2025.

This is not the first time that Sportradar has made moves around sports and betting integrity in Brazil. In April, the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) extended its partnership with Sportradar, specifically leveraging the firm’s Sportradar Integrity and Regulatory Services.

Moreover, the new deal with the Ministry of Sports will see the sports technology company identify potentially suspicious activity through its Universal Fraud Detection System (UFDS).

It will also provide education and training for Ministry of Sports personnel and staff focused on best practices in monitoring, identifying and investigating suspicious activities. The first workshop will be held today (15 May) and will also involve the Brazilian Ministry of Finance.

Prioritising protection
As the Brazil market continues its integrity efforts since its launch in January this year, several deals alike are being formed.

In recent weeks, Integrity Compliance 360 (IC360) signed a five-year technical cooperation deal with the Secretariat of Prizes and Bets of the Ministry of Finance (SPA-MF).

The deal now sees the solutions provider focus on identifying irregular betting activity in order to detect and stop efforts of manipulating outcomes.

Sportradar published a report earlier this year which revealed that the number of matches suspected of being manipulated worldwide dropped by 17% last year.

Notably, in 2024, Brazil experienced a significant decrease in the number of suspicious football matches, with 53 less cases detected (a drop of 48%) compared to the year prior.

Damián Gabriel Martínez: SBC Noticias
Peru has reported successful implementation of its new online gambling framework, as authorities prioritise tax compliance and toughen enforcement against black market websites. Peru offers a model from which other South American nations can draw lessons to shape their own regulatory regimes.

Peru’s government believes that adoption of new gambling laws and standards is going smoothly following the implementation of federal reforms in 2024.

As of February 2024, Peru has enacted Law No. 31557, referred to as the Law Regulating Remote Gaming and Remote Sports Betting. Devised over a two-year period, the law aims to establish a comprehensive legal framework for online gambling and sports betting, supporting both the digital economy and public welfare programmes.

Oversight of Peru’s online gambling market has been assigned to MINCETUR, the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Tourism, which is responsible for licensing and market supervision.

The newly established regulatory system has stimulated sustainable growth in the sector. MINCETUR has authorised 60 technology platforms and registered 280 domestic and international service providers.

The market is now supported by nine accredited international certification laboratories, which act as partners to the regulatory regime. Nationwide, the number of authorised venues has risen to 4,516, following the registration of 683 new sports betting establishments since December 2024.

Officials at MINCETUR see the current momentum as a strong endorsement of Peru’s modern regulatory structure, which has attracted investors bringing both job creation and innovative solutions.

Strict Tax Disciplines
Peru’s tax revenues have grown significantly under Law No. 31557. Operators’ monthly net income is subject to a 12% tax, calculated after platform maintenance costs. Additionally, Peruvian residents must pay a 1% consumption tax on every bet placed a mandate introduced by President Dina Boluarte. However the rate has been temporarily reduced to 0.3% until 1 July 2025 to ease the transition.

Peru is now recognised across Latin America as a leading authority in regulatory governance, becoming the third jurisdiction in the region to introduce a dedicated online gambling regime.

Neighbouring countries are using Peru’s structured and transparent approach as a blueprint for their own digital economy reforms.

Penalties for Non-Compliance

Operators functioning without authorisation now face severe financial and criminal penalties. The maximum fine for operating without a licence is 990,000 soles (approximately £207,000), alongside potential prison sentences of up to four years.

MINCETUR also holds the authority to block access to unauthorised websites and to disrupt payment services linked to illegal operators.

Its enforcement division, the General Directorate of Casino Games and Slot Machines (DGJCMT), has removed 15% of illegal gambling websites while reducing the presence of unlicensed digital platforms by 40%.

Public Interest in a Safer Gambling Culture
The government has launched school-based awareness campaigns to educate the public about gambling addiction. Simultaneously, industry training programmes have been implemented to promote standards of responsible conduct among companies.

Collaborative initiatives with gaming associations reinforce Peru’s long-term commitment to protecting vulnerable individuals and building a safer gambling environment.

Peru’s continued development of digital economy policies uses the successful implementation of its gambling reform as a guiding model for emerging markets seeking to balance regulatory control with innovation and public benefit.

Ricardo Assis: SBC Noticias Brazil
The Senate of Brazil has heard opposing views on whether to proceed with further legislation of gambling advertising as part of the ‘Bets’ regulating betting regime.

Last week, key stakeholders hearings in Brazilian advertising and media were summoned by Senators’ Carlos Portinho (PL-RJ) and Jorge Kajuru (PSB-GO). The session featured the participation of media figureheads, lawyers, Bets leaders and civil society organisations.

At present, the Bets regime applies the ‘fixed measures’ on gambling advertising of Law No. 14,790/2023, overseen by the Secretariat of Prizes and Bets (SPA).

The Law deems that only licensed operators may advertise. Advertisements must include responsible gambling messages and cannot target minors or use certain public figures.

Further criteria determines that Bets adverts must not present gambling as a personal or social achievement or financial success. All Bets adverts and promotions must contain a +18 symbol for audiences.

Though withstanding, the adequacy of Bets advertising rules, has been questioned by Senators. Legislators have proposed two separate Bills for Gambling advertising to be treated as a unique legislation to be governed separately to the Bets regime.

As such, the Senate’s Sports Committee is currently reviewing Bill No. 2985/2023, which proposes a complete ban on gambling advertising across all channels, and Bill No. 3405/2023, which seeks to prohibit gambling advertisements involving athletes, celebrities, sports teams, and influencers.

Urgency aside, the Senate’s hearings were not intended to choose between the Bills, but rather to gather feedback from key stakeholders on the scope of a framework aimed at protecting society’s most vulnerable populations and young audiences from gambling-related risks and addictive behaviours. The sessions revealed a stark divide between those demanding a total ban and those advocating measured restrictions.

Loud voices for full prohibition
Hermano Tavares, a psychiatrist from the University of São Paulo, issued a dire warning.

“Never in my life have I witnessed anyone handle a calamity with restraint,” he declared, likening gambling’s effect on the brain to that of alcohol and tobacco.

Brazil, he noted, “now leads the world in online betting accessibility — an unenviable achievement.”

Senator Eduardo Girão (Novo-CE), author of Bill No. 3405/2023, pressed for decisive action. “The evil must be cut at the root,” he insisted. With gambling prohibition politically unfeasible, banning its advertising, he argued, was the next best option.

Others echoed the alarm. Senator Magno Malta (PL-ES) lamented that online gambling had become “a disaster with no end”.

Advertising is fractured sector
Industry voices struck a more cautious tone. Eduardo Godoy of the Self-Regulation Forum for the Advertising Market argued that banning advertising would merely drive betting into the shadows. “Prohibiting advertising is the worst available solution,” he said.

The challenge, Godoy suggested, was compounded by the fast-moving media landscape. “Today we talk about influencers; tomorrow, it will be AI-driven avatars,” he said, warning that enshrining rigid advertising formats in law risked rendering legislation obsolete almost overnight.

Concerns about unintended consequences were shared by the betting industry. “If there is no advertising, how can users distinguish between licensed and unlicensed operators?” asked Heloisa Diniz of the Association of Bets and Fantasy Sport (ABFS).

Fernando Vieira of the Brazilian Institute of Responsible Gaming (IBJR) concurred, stressing that most Brazilian gamblers still use unregulated sites. Advertising, he said, functions as “a mechanism for identifying lawful operators.”

Football reliance on Gambling Advertising
Football’s reliance on gambling money also loomed large. Sports lawyer André Carvalho Sica explained that lower-tier clubs, particularly in Serie B, depend heavily on betting sponsorships. “The true value today comes from advertising boards funded by betting companies,” he said.

Senator Portinho reflected the session’s ambivalence. While condemning the “predatory” presence of a dozen betting brands during the Carioca Championship final, he acknowledged that the sport’s financial survival depends on such sponsorships.

Digital platforms were notably absent from the hearings. Portinho criticised Meta, TikTok, and X for failing to engage, warning that uncooperative platforms could soon face stricter regulatory measures.

Despite the divides, there was consensus on the urgent need to better protect minors. Luiz Felipe Guimarães Santoro of the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) outlined measures already in place to block underage access on legal platforms, but noted that illegal operators remain a threat.

Brazil now faces a critical choice. Should it impose a draconian ban for the sake of public health? Or should it refine the existing regime to balance commercial interests with societal responsibility?

The Senate’s Sports Committee will have to tread lightly as once more the regulatory development of Bets tests the boundaries of Brazil’s statute in providing a balanced settlement of economic necessity and social protection in Brazil’s digital age – another dual-natured challenge of a nascent gambling market…