How being a former lawyer and judge has helped the President of the National Association of Games and Lotteries of Brazil

Plínio Lemos Jorge, President of the National Association of Games and Lotteries of Brazil (ANJL), spoke to G3 about his work as a prominent lawyer and former judge at the Tax and Fees Court of São Paulo, and how that experience lends itself to his role at the ANJL and the fight against illegal gaming.

G3: You came to this role from tax law, not directly from the betting sector — how has this background shaped the way you represent operators today?

PLJ: Experience in both Tax and Corporate Law adds value in various ways to the work I have carried out as president of the National Association of Games and Lotteries (ANJL). From the background stemming from the judiciary, I believe characteristics such as listening skills, technical insight, and the ability to make decisions based on numerous elements surrounding each topic contribute to our management. Another point is that the tax structure in Brazil is complex and full of small details that companies need to pay attention to in order to optimise their operations and achieve the best possible results. We fought hard alongside the National Congress for two consecutive years to prevent the tax burden on the sector from increasing significantly. Today, Brazil has one of the highest tax burdens in the world in the betting
industry, exceeding 45 per cent, but it could have been worse if we had not acted intensely with both the Legislative and Executive branches, technically demonstrating all the disadvantages of tax increases for the sector. We still have new battles ahead, such as defining the rate of the Selective Tax, and in this scenario, I believe my background will continue to contribute to achieving the best outcome for operators. Therefore, technical mastery of these issues is another positive aspect in leading our work at the association.

G3: ANJL has taken active positions on topics such as taxation of prizes and minimum payout rates. Could you explain how the association practically builds a position on a technical topic like this? Who participates in these discussions internally?

PLJ: Technical deliberations involve the ANJL Council, composed of representatives from member companies. The association also relies on consultants, who work both on a fixed and on an occasional basis, depending on the needs of each situation. In the case of discussions about more complex decisions with the potential for significant changes in the betting sector as a whole, we involve all members in meetings to jointly deliberate on the topic. It is an intense listening exercise because, although we represent an entire industry and there are common interests, there are also times when there are different interpretations regarding the actions to be taken. Our challenge is to reach a consensus on what is best for the sector. And we have managed to do this successfully.

G3: What was the most constructive conversation you have had recently with a regulator
or lawmaker — a moment when you felt there was real progress?

PLJ: It was the partnership with Anatel and the Secretariat of Prizes and Betting (SPA), through a cooperation agreement, which ensured the creation of the sector’s information laboratory, dedicated to monitoring, intelligence production, and technical analysis of the betting market. This dialogue arose from the need to intensify the fight against the illegal market and has yielded good results.

G3: You have already spoken about combating the illegal market as ANJL’s central focus. What would be a realistic and achievable next goal on this front?

PLJ: Our association has actively participated in combating illegal operators, including through the development of tools to identify these sites, send this information to the regulatory authority, and thus obtain blocking orders. The big problem with illegal sites is that, once their addresses are blocked, they are reactivated shortly afterward through another URL. There is still no technology capable of automatically tracking these platforms and blocking them definitively, also preventing their new versions. We view positively the investigations and police operations that have identified the financial structures of these illegal companies in order to suffocate them. We believe this is an effective path to dismantle the organisations behind these sites, and we hope these actions become permanent.

G3: André Feldman, the founder, and Wesley Cardia, your predecessor, helped build ANJL’s initial credibility with Congress. What do you feel you have added to this foundation during your own tenure?

PLJ: Their work was fundamental in forming and structuring ANJL, which has become the main representative voice of the betting sector in the country. Since I assumed the presidency in 2024, the work has focused on consolidating the structure, as well as attracting new members. In a relatively recent market that has faced so many attacks from various fronts, it is essential that we seek the greatest possible representativeness, bringing together relevant players in the sector, not only the betting operators themselves, but all companies involved in this betting ecosystem.

G3: What would you like operators who are just starting to operate in the Brazilian market to understand about working with ANJL — something that isn’t obvious from the outside?

First, it is important to highlight that ANJL only accepts a new member after a robust analysis of the company, involving areas such as governance, compliance, finance, etc. This process is important because our work also involves factors such as the reputation and credibility of the market as a whole. Therefore, working with us, becoming a member, means actively participating in promoting and defending the industry, showing Brazilian society and various stakeholders the importance of having a regulated betting market in Brazil. No one is able to do this alone. That is why the union of efforts in this direction is fundamental.

G3: Outside the betting universe, what usually occupies your time? Is there anything in your background that still directly influences the way you think about the sector today?

PLJ: Given the intensity of demands, there ends up being little time for me to dedicate to other activities. But in my spare time, I always focus on updating my legal knowledge, reading good works, and understanding the current landscape of legal and academic issues.