Brazil closer to implementing national betting system
Brazil has taken a step closer to coordinating gambling on a national level with the announcement that the Working Group for the creation of the National Betting System (Sinapo) met last Friday (August 8). The next steps involve finalizing the drafts for the necessary acts to formalize the system, which will be evaluated by the National Treasury Attorney’s Office (PGFN) and interested parties, to establish the rules for states and the Federal District to join the system.
In addition to the Prize and Betting Secretariat of the Ministry of Finance (SPA – MF), representatives from 18 states and the Federal District participated, some in person and others remotely.
The proposal put forward by the Working Group, which still needs legal validations, includes two participation models within the system. There will be adhering members, with more flexibility for entry, and associated members, with specific requirements related to participation in projects developed by the SPA.
According to a SPA press release to become an adhering member a declaration from the state or district government and the designation of a representative is required. They will be able to participate in general meetings and thematic groups. This category is designed mainly for the approximately 20 Federative Units (UFs) that are in the earlier stages of establishing lotteries.
“We would like all states and the DF (Federal District) to join, so our National Betting System includes all federated entities that can legally engage in this activity,” said Regis Dudena, the Secretary of Prizes and Betting at the MF.
States that are already exploring lotteries or are at a more advanced stage and wish to become associated members will need to demonstrate compliance with current legislation, particularly regarding authorization, prevention and combat against money laundering, ensuring responsible gaming, and respecting the territoriality of business operations (authorizations granted by UFs are only valid within the state).
In return, these states will have access to three projects. The first is to integrate into a unified list of authorized operators, after proving compliance with the specific rules regarding authorization, especially georeferencing, which is essential for ensuring the territorial restrictions expressly set out by law.
“It is advantageous for state lotteries to be on this list, for example, for advertising purposes,” explained Daniela Olímpio, the Subsecretary for Authorization at the SPA.
Next, they will have access to the National Betting Restrictions Platform, which is in the final development phase by the Federal Data Processing Service (Serpro) at the request of the SPA. This platform is an initiative by the SPA to protect the mental and financial health of gamblers, particularly due to one of its features, which is centralized self-exclusion.
The third benefit for associated states will be access to use the “.bet.br” domain. This initiative by the SPA will be provided to states meeting requirements such as secure certification of the betting systems of authorized companies.
It is expected that in the coming weeks, the model for the National Betting System will be evaluated and validated by the PGFN.
