Brazilian state of Mato Grosso do Sul launches lottery tender for third time
The Sefaz-MS (State Secretariat of Finance of Mato Grosso do Sul) in Brazil republished on Wednesday (7th) the bidding notice to hire a company to manage Lotesul. The state lottery anticipates a contract worth R$ 51.4 million for the winning enterprise.
The bidding process has already been suspended twice. The latest suspension occurred on December 15 of last year by the TCE (Court of Auditors of the State), shortly after it was revealed that a criminal organisation had created a fake company to enable a criminal organization to compete in the bidding process.
When questioned about the suspension, Governor Eduardo Riedel stated at the time that the bidding would be conducted in “the most open manner possible.”
As a result on the 07th January Sefaz made public the republication of the bidding notice for the hiring of a specialized company for the implementation and operation of a platform that controls lottery activities, integrated with payment methods, to manage and oversee the activities and financial flow of lottery operators in the state lottery. Maintenance, customization, and updates that may be necessary during the contract term must also be conducted, with the total delivery of the source code and database at the end of the contract.
The bidding opening will take place at 8 AM on January 23rd, local time, via the website: www.compras.ms.gov.br. The complete notice, along with addenda and other alerts, is available to interested parties for free on the website www.compras.ms.gov.br.
In August 2022, the State Department of Finance of Mato Grosso do Sul began credentialing legal entities to operate lottery products under Lotesul.
The process was divided into four batches covering different types of games, allowing one operator per 2 million residents, including foreign applicants. The government planned to establish a Superintendency of Lottery for oversight, with a revenue allocation of at least 12 per cent for royalties and 5 per cent for fixed quota sports betting. A study projected R$ 9.8 billion in revenue over ten years, with R$ 7.5 billion for prizes.
However, the tender was suspended in September 2022 after a complaint from NGT (New Games Technology) Brasil, citing concerns over competition and transparency leading to the potential for a monopoly. Although the state appealed, The Superior Court of Justice (STJ) rejected it in June 2024.
In March 2025 the State Treasury Secretariat launched a new notice aimed at selecting a company to operate the first stage of Lotesul which has been suspended for nearly two decades.
