The sports betting market in Brazil is growing at a rapid pace. But alongside the opportunities, risks also emerge — and one of the most serious has a clear name: match-fixing.
Against this backdrop, the Sport Integrity Global Alliance (SIGA), together with Sports Summit Brazil 2025, hosted one of the most important debates of the year on the future of sporting integrity. The panel “FAIR Insights: Reputation, Business and Integrity as a Strategic Pillar” gathered authorities and industry leaders to discuss how to turn ethics and transparency into genuine pillars of sustainability in sport.
Sports Summit Brazil has consolidated itself as the largest sports industry event in Latin America, bringing together confederations, clubs, leagues, regulatory bodies, technology companies and betting operators.
More than an event, it is a strategic space for dialogue among the different players shaping the present and future of sport. In 2025, SIGA’s presence (the international organization leading the global movement for transparency, ethics and good governance) brought an essential theme to the forefront: integrity as a strategic asset and a driver of credibility.
SIGA is a global non-profit organization dedicated to promoting integrity standards, fraud prevention and the fight against corruption and match manipulation. Within this structure, FAIR (Forum on Betting, Integrity and Regulation) was created by SIGA Latin America to foster dialogue between public authorities, operators and companies across the betting ecosystem.
As a FAIR member, I closely follow the construction of an agenda that transforms integrity into a competitive advantage — not merely a regulatory requirement, but a differential for responsible, sustainable and trustworthy businesses.
The composition of the debates at Sports Summit reflected the breadth and seriousness of the topic. Present were national and international leaders representing the intersection of sport, government and industry: SIGA’s global CEO, representatives from the Ministry of Sport and Ministry of Finance, the president of COAF, and representatives from FIFA, CONMEBOL, NFL, Kings League, CONAR, as well as executives from major Brazilian football clubs.
This unprecedented convergence of different spheres of power and influence marks a historic moment. For the first time, integrity takes center stage on the strategic agenda of both sport and betting, treated as a vector of economic and social development — and not merely as a control mechanism.
With the expansion of the betting market and the digitalization of platforms, the risk of match-fixing has grown significantly. Its impact is profound: it undermines the credibility of competitions, damages brands and destroys fan trust. Integrity, therefore, is no longer just a moral issue — it has become an economic one, and ultimately, what guarantees the survival of a multibillion-dollar industry.
In this scenario, Brazil has already begun to react. The Ministry of Sport, in partnership with the Ministry of Finance and COAF, is developing a National Sports Integrity Policy, focused on preventing manipulation, supervising betting markets, and promoting a responsible and transparent environment. More than a control structure, this initiative represents a decisive step toward protecting sport as an economic, social and cultural asset.
Integrity is what separates the game from risk, business from distrust, and entertainment from manipulation. But it cannot be built in isolation. The future of iGaming — and of sport itself — depends on collaboration among public authorities, sports entities, regulators and companies. Only this convergence will make it possible to unite reputation, growth and ethics within a single field: that of sustainability in sport and responsible betting.
William Bonalume
COO at Open Gaming. Compliance, KYC and fraud-prevention specialist with 15+ years of operational experience in fintech and neobank environments. Member of FAIR (Forum on Betting, Integrity and Regulation) at the Sport Integrity Global Alliance (SIGA). Former statutory director at Facebook Pagamentos do Brasil (Meta), responsible for relations with the Central Bank of Brazil.
