ANJL and Editora Globo seminar discusses the future of betting in Brazil.
The Brazilian fixed-odds betting market, known as "bets," is completing a year and a half of regulation with 86 companies and 188 platforms authorized to operate. According to the international consulting firm Regulus Partners, specializing in sports and leisure, Brazil ranks fifth in the international betting market.
To discuss how to achieve a more transparent and secure market for bettors and ensure conditions of competitiveness and sustainability for companies, the National Association of Games and Lotteries (ANJL) is promoting the seminar "Post-regulation Challenges of the Betting Market" on August 14th.
Produced by Editora Globo, the seminar will bring together industry leaders and experts on topics such as tax burden and sustainability, new consumer protection technologies, and actions in favor of responsible gambling. Confirmed speakers include Udo Seckelmann, head of the Gambling and Crypto Department at the law firm Bichara e Motta Advogados; Eric Brasil, director of LCA Consultores; and Luís Otávio Veríssimo, president of the Superior Court of Sports Justice for Football (program available via QR code).
Economist Guilherme Mendes Resende, from MR Consultoria Econômica and PhD in Economics from the London School of Economics and Political Science, will present a technical analysis commissioned by ANJL on the factors that impact the default rate of Brazilian families.
In the interview below, the president of ANJL, Plínio Lemos, says that the indebtedness stems mainly from overdraft interest and credit card revolving debt. In the case of betting, he states that it is unfair to hold regulated companies responsible.
"Brazil needs to recognize the difference between regulated betting sites, which practice responsible gambling, and illegal ones," says Plínio.
What is the main objective of the seminar?
We want to emphasize that there is a regulated market that practices responsible gambling, that cares about the mental and financial health of its customers, and that has paid for a license. This market needs to be understood and respected, without being confused with the illegal market, which harms families and players, does not care about minors, and is linked to organized crime. Those who attack betting companies often do so by attacking online betting companies as if they were one and the same. This is unfair.
What is the biggest challenge in this second year of online gaming regulation?
The biggest challenge continues and will continue to be combating illegal gambling. Research from H2 Gambling Capital from early 2026 shows that it accounts for approximately 50% of the betting market in Brazil. Combating it is truly difficult because online gambling is available anywhere in the world; it's not an unfair competitor just across the street.
What is the solution?
To persist and improve enforcement. To conduct daily internet searches to find this illegal activity, knowing that it can change very quickly. It's a daily cat-and-mouse game. Nowhere in the world has managed to eliminate the illegal market. But when the vast majority is stifled, it becomes clear that regulation is important for its social responsibility. We are also always working to improve enforcement, in collaboration with the Federal Government.
"ANJL has entered into a cooperation agreement with the Secretariat of Prizes and Betting (SPA) for a laboratory within the National Telecommunications Agency. This laboratory sends a report to the SPA as soon as it identifies an illegal operator."
What kind of collaboration?
At the end of 2024, ANJL entered into a cooperation agreement with the Prizes and Betting Secretariat (SPA) of the Ministry of Finance to finance a laboratory within the National Telecommunications Agency (Anatel). This laboratory is already operational and, as soon as it identifies an illegal operator, sends a report to the SPA.
We are now making a system available to the Ministry of Justice and the Federal Police, which will also handle tracking. The two systems together, also feeding data to the state civil police forces, will further strengthen the fight against illegality. It should be operational by the end of August.
In your opinion, are consumer protection mechanisms working correctly? Which are the most important?
Yes, they are working well. The most important of all is facial recognition, the main element of the mandatory information set called Know Your Client (KYC). For a bettor to enter the platform, register, and play, they must have facial recognition. So, this already prevents both legally excluded individuals and minors from accessing the platform via someone else's account. Brazil is a benchmark in this requirement.
Would consumers be better protected if online gambling were banned?
If a decree were issued today prohibiting illegal betting, combating the black market would become much more difficult, because regulated companies are the driving force behind the fight against illegality. They are the main force in combating illegal betting. In the event of a ban, consumers would be at the mercy of clandestine companies that do not pay taxes, accept children as customers, and have connections to organized crime.
What would be the effect of a potential advertising ban?
Advertising is the only way for a regulated company to show that it is legal. Without it, the bettor would have no way of knowing who is legal and who is not. Only the illegal ones will reach them, because they have ways of circumventing the oversight of social media platforms.
Currently, advertising restrictions are a catalyst for illegal activity. Countries like Portugal, England, and the Netherlands tried this approach and saw the illegal market grow by up to 90%. They reversed course and are reviewing what can be done in the future.
What is ANJL's position on the causes of indebtedness among Brazilian families?
This debt stems mainly from overdraft and credit card revolving interest rates, a problem that has existed for a long time. Regarding betting, the responsibility cannot be attributed to companies in the regulated market. If that were the case, no one would be indebted before 2025. The problem lies in the black market.
The results of the Federal Government's "Desenrola" program reinforce this. "Desenrola" encouraged people to settle their debts and blocked online gambling for those who joined. And what happened? Regulated betting sites were practically unaffected. We conducted a survey among ANJL members and found that "Desenrola" blocked less than 2% of bettors. This makes it clear that the majority of those who joined the program were betting on the black market, not with legalized companies.
“An internal survey by ANJL shows that Desenrola blocked less than 2% of bettors from legalized companies. This makes it clear that the majority of those who joined the program were betting on the black market.”
Looking to the future, what challenges lie beyond combating illegality?
Taxation is a major challenge. We have been trying to demonstrate that our tax burden is already very high. A study by LCA Consultores indicates that by 2033 the tax burden on betting would increase from the current 32% to 42%. But we can say that some companies already allocate almost 50% of their revenue to tax payments. This stifles the activity and will make some companies unviable. Increasing revenue is important for Brazil, but it should come from legalizing those who are currently in the clandestine market, not from even higher taxation for those who develop serious work.
What can we expect in the coming years?
Our biggest struggle is to maintain what we already have. It's better than 99% of the regulations in other countries. Instead of waiting for some big innovation, we should wait for Brazil to recognize the importance of regulated and responsible betting.
Check the complete program of the event
Seminar: Post-regulation challenges of the betting market ANJL / Editora Globo — August 14
9am — Registration
9:30 AM — Opening: International Experience How do the most mature and transparent markets in the fixed-odds betting sector operate today?
⇒ Charmaine Hogan — Global Head of Government Relations, Playtech
⇒ Moderation: Leila Sterenberg — Journalist and documentary filmmaker
9:45 AM — Presentation: Technical analysis, prepared by MR Consultoria Econômica, of the study on the impact of fixed-odds betting on the indebtedness of Brazilian families.
⇒ Guilherme Mendes Resende — Professor of Economics at IDP
9:55 AM — Panel 1: Second year post-regulation: advances and challenges in the fixed-odds betting sector
⇒ Plínio Augusto Lemos Jorge — President of ANJL
⇒ Luís Otávio Veríssimo Teixeira — President of the STJD
⇒ Giovanni Rocco Neto — National Secretary of Sports Betting and Economic Development of Sport
⇒ Moderation: Leila Sterenberg — Journalist and documentary filmmaker
10:40 AM — Panel 2: Tax burden and sector sustainability: challenges of a newly regulated ecosystem
⇒ Udo Seckelmann — Lawyer, Head of the Gambling and Crypto Department at the law firm Bichara e Motta Advogados
⇒ Eric Brasil — Director of LCA Consulting
⇒ Magnho José — Editor of BNLData and President of the Brazilian Institute of Legal Gaming (IJL)
⇒ Leonardo Batista — CEO of Pay4fun
⇒ Moderation: Leila Sterenberg — Journalist and documentary filmmaker
11:25 AM — Panel 3: Player Protection: New Mechanisms and Actions in Favor of Responsible Gaming
⇒ Pietro Cárdia Lorenzoni — Lawyer and Legal Director of ANJL
⇒ Bernardo Cavalcanti Freire — Legal Consultant for ANJL and Founding Partner of BetLaw
⇒ Juliana Albuquerque — Executive Vice-President of CONAR
⇒ Moderation: Leila Sterenberg — Journalist and documentary filmmaker
Information and registration for the seminar "Post-regulation challenges of the betting market".
