In addition to the amount already raised with fixed-odds betting concessions in 2023, in the amount of R$25 million (US$4m), the autarchy reached the mark of R$52.5 million (US$8.5m), which will be allocated to affordable housing, public safety and social actions.
The first allocation of these funds raised by Lottopar was authorized by the Government of Paraná for the investment of R$10 million (US$1.6m) to build a Forensic Laboratory to Combat Financial Crimes for the Scientific Police. The funds come from activities regulated by the autarchy.
The Integrated Data Processing and Analysis Center (CIPAD) will be located at the agency's headquarters in Curitiba and will be used to detect money laundering, concealment of assets, illegal financial transactions and related crimes, further promoting the fight against corruption of individuals and legal entities.
In another initiative aimed at combating financial crimes, Lottopar was the first institution in the Brazilian lottery segment to be authorized by the Federal Government's Financial Activities Control System (Siscoaf). As a result, sports betting sites licensed by Lottopar are required to develop tools and methods for analyzing suspicious activities to prevent money laundering and concealment of assets.
Accordingly, the licensed sports betting site must report confidentially to the Financial Activities Control Council (Coaf) when an operation is identified that, due to its characteristics, values, method of execution or any suspicious indication, may constitute evidence of a money laundering crime.
In February, the fifth betting site authorized by Lottopar began operating in the state. To ensure the security of these operations, Lottopar accredited three more certification laboratories, Gaming Associates, eCOGRA and Quinel, which joined the already accredited GLI and BMM. With this, Paraná was the first to carry out this accreditation.
Every game, sports betting site or equipment is only authorized by Lottopar to start operating after presenting all the tests and certificates required by the agency and issued by these laboratories. This ensures the security of the Paraná lottery market in all stages of the process, in addition to offering a safe entertainment experience for Paraná bettors.
Participating in the BiS Awards, a ceremony that is part of the BiS SiGMA Americas fair, the “Oscar” of the sports betting market, Lottopar was the big winner in the C-Level of the Year category, which recognized the work of Lottopar's president, Daniel Romanowski, at the helm of the agency. This is the first time that a state lottery president has won this award, and this is mainly due to Lottopar's pioneering actions in the regulatory process for the sports betting market in Brazil.
In June, the company Apostou.com was authorized by Lottopar to start selling the instant lottery, “Raspinha”. Raspinha tickets cost R$2.50, with prizes ranging from R$2.50 to R$60,000 (US$0,41 to US$9,771). There are already more than 2,500 points of sale open throughout Paraná, and when you buy a ticket, you know right away whether you have won or not. The expectation is that the number of points of sale will exceed 6,000 throughout the state.
Stock Exchange
The signing of the concession contracts for the instant lottery, numerical prediction (predicting numbers that will be drawn), specific prediction (matching more than one item in a draw, between numbers and symbols), sports prediction (predicting the results of sporting events) and passive mode (in which the bettor can purchase a pre-numbered ticket or an online draw) were carried out at the B3 Stock Exchange, in São Paulo.
For the first time in the history of the Stock Exchange, a lottery concession contract was signed. Lottopar's presence at B3 further reinforces the commitment of the agency and the Government of Paraná to the highest levels of compliance, governance and transparency in all stages of lottery operations.
Cooperation agreements
In April, in La Plata, Argentina, a memorandum of understanding was signed, at no financial cost to the State, which aims to exchange information between Lottopar and the Ibero-American State Lottery and Betting Corporation (Cibelae) with the aim of improving good practices in safe and responsible gaming, promoting a safer and more transparent lottery market for the people of Paraná.
Lottopar has a technical cooperation agreement with the Paraná Football Federation (FPF) whose objective is to develop actions focused on sports integrity, ensuring safe and responsible gaming in the sports betting environment. The cooperation agreement does not involve financial contributions and the partnership is free of charge for both participants.
Responsible gaming
As one of the pillars for a safe and responsible lottery environment in Paraná, Lottopar developed several actions throughout 2024. On the one hand, published standards and ordinances, such as Ordinance No. 67/2024, which establishes minimum rules for 'Bets' (as the operators are called) licensed and authorized by Lottopar. It prohibits the use of sports betting sites by anyone who has or may have influence on the outcome of a sports-themed event, which includes athletes, people who hold positions as managers, coaches, trainers, referees and assistant referees in sports.
Another action was Responsible Gaming Week, which took place in October and brought together speakers from Brazil and around the world to disseminate responsible gaming practices, with representatives from the Secretariat of Prizes and Betting (SPA), the National Council for Advertising Self-Regulation (Conar), the Union of Lotteries for Integrity in Sports (UlIS) and Cibelae, among others.
Lottopar is a member of important committees of Cibelae, the largest lottery association in Latin America. These committees aim to establish dialogue and exchange experiences with the largest lotteries in the world, providing an opportunity for Lottopar to bring the best international models to Paraná.
Also within the policy of developing responsible gaming initiatives, Lottopar, in partnership with the Paraná Football Federation, is promoting a series of lectures with football players and professionals in the field on sports integrity. Referees from the FPF and athletes from the youth teams of Paraná Clube and Coritiba have already attended this discussion.
Source: GMB
