BNLData 25 years: From newsletter to app, the trajectory of the pioneer in games.

By: Magno José

BNLData: 25 years can no longer be contained solely on a computer screen 2 — **A pioneering portal specializing in lottery and betting coverage has established itself as the largest database in the segment and launched an app with push alerts for urgent information.**

25 years after a gap was identified in a corridor of LOTERJ (Rio de Janeiro State Lottery), BNLData is undergoing its biggest technological overhaul. Its journey began small: an email newsletter, two founders, and a sector that lacked a voice in the specialized press.

It was September 2001. Magnho José had left his position as press officer for the Rio de Janeiro State Lottery (LOTERJ), where he had worked for two years. During that period, he realized something that seemed obvious after being stated: the lottery and gambling sector in Brazil lacked any segmented media coverage. The space was empty.

On September 1st of that year, Magnho José and his partner Elaine Silva launched the Lottery News Bulletin, a daily newsletter that circulated exclusively by email. The choice of name was not accidental. As the terms "gambling" and "illegal lottery" were prohibited in communication at the time, even in contexts that advocated for the legalization of these modalities, the pair opted for "lottery," an activity that already had existing legislation, to avoid clashes with regulatory bodies.

The first edition held a coincidence that time has transformed into a historical fact: the space opened with a statement by the then PT presidential pre-candidate, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, made during a seminar on public security in Rio. In defense of legalizing the jogo do bicho (an illegal lottery game), Lula said: “The best solution for jogo do bicho is to legalize it. People would pay taxes normally and the clandestine nature of the game would end.” Regarding the reasons for prohibition, he was direct: “Because there are political interests in not legalizing it. Because there are people who use jogo do bicho for money laundering, for corruption.” The statement was criticized by one of the experts responsible for developing his own pre-government program for the area of public security.

Years later, after three terms in office, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has publicly stated that, if it were up to him, "bets" (online and sports betting platforms) would be eliminated in Brazil. However, he acknowledges that a total ban does not depend solely on the Executive branch, and that a final decision rests with the National Congress.

“Every time the debate about gambling and betting resurfaces in Brazil, it tends to be divided between two extremes: legalization or prohibition. The real question is not whether gambling, betting, and lotteries should exist, but who governs—the State or illegality,” commented Magnho José, editor of BNLData.

From newsletter to database

Over the following years, the publication became more structured. In 2004, the Lottery News Bulletin launched its first HTML news website, developed by partner Caio Sousa. Two years later, in 2006, a name change accompanied a change in scale: BNLData was born. The word "Data" was incorporated for two simultaneous reasons: the accumulation of all federal and state legislation in the sector had formed the largest database in the segment in the country; and the domain "BNL" belonged to an Italian bank, Banca Nazionale del Lavoro, which made the distinction necessary.

With partner Estúdio Sync by its side since that early stage, the publication has modernized its channels over the years. The website now boasts over 156 published news articles. “Over these years, BNLData, with the support of its long-time partner Estúdio Sync, has modernized its communication process with readers through its email newsletter and dedicated website, which today features over 156 published news articles,” stated Elaine Silva.

On social media, the publication also built a presence. BNLData reported on the main events in the sector and helped establish unified communication between regulators, operators, and the public. This work involved demystifying prejudices against the activity, fact-checking narratives against the sector, and monitoring legislative milestones such as the legalization of gambling, fixed-odds betting, and online gaming —topics that part of society still categorizes as "basket of customs."

The shift to WhatsApp

Upon turning 22 in 2023, the newsletter ended its exclusive email delivery after 5.739 editions and migrated to WhatsApp with a new name: Informe BNLData. The response was significant. Today, more than 1,7 subscribers receive the Informe daily; among them are regulators, directors, executives, and technicians from the sector.

Frequent access has become one of the most valued metrics for the publication. In the last 12 months, the site registered 1,5 million readers, which equates to an average of 125 per month.

“For BNLData, increasing traffic is relatively simple; keeping the reader who returns every day is what differentiates audience from loyalty, and this recurrence is directly attributed to the Newsletter circulating on WhatsApp,” commented Caio Sousa.

The app that kicks off the 25th anniversary.

The big news for BNLData's 25th anniversary, which it celebrates this Tuesday (September 1st), is the launch of its own app, also developed by Estúdio Sync. The app offers the typical advantages of the format: speed of access, greater security compared to generic websites, and functions available on the mobile screen at any time.

The key difference compared to previous channels is the push notification system ; alerts sent directly to the user's device without the application being open, aimed at delivering urgent information from the sector.

Upon concluding 25 years of operation, 300 months, 1.304 weeks, 9.131 days, and 219.144 hours, BNLData describes itself as the first digital communication vehicle specializing in the lottery, gaming, and betting sector in South America and as the holder of the largest database in the market. "We can only acknowledge that it was worthwhile, and we express our gratitude to all sponsors, subscribers, partners, collaborators, supporters, and friends!", acknowledged Magnho José.