With the increase in illegal betting activity, Baigorri estimates that it will be necessary to expand Anatel's structure. With the public selection process, which will hire 50 new employees, it will be necessary to have a budget of R$23 million (US$4.15m) per year.
"It is not yet known how many of these employees will be directed to controlling betting," said Baigorri. "We may have to establish new partnerships."
The Betting and Fantasy Sports Association (ABFS) even sent a letter to Baigorri asking for the restructuring of the agency's technical staff, so that it will be possible to improve oversight of the illegal market in the sector.
The entity says that Anatel can make this restructuring by appointing the candidates approved in the 2024 public selection process for the position of Regulatory Specialist.
According to the association, the agency has already publicly acknowledged that it is facing a critical deficit in its staff. Today, 141 positions are vacant for the role of regulatory specialist. This represents 25.8% of the total provided for by law.
The new retirements of civil servants scheduled for 2026 should worsen this situation, says ABFS in the letter.
The increase in Anatel's technical staff, however, depends on government authorization via presidential decree, accompanied by a favorable statement from the Ministry of Management and Innovation in Public Services.
During an event in Madrid, Spain, Baigorri stated that the regulation of betting in Brazil is still in its infancy and immature. He complained about the low institutionalization in this segment.
"The governance model for regulating the betting business is still very, let's say, not very institutionalized. You think that the electricity and telecommunications sectors have an agency, civil servants with a career, a collegiate body, a regulatory impact process, public consultation. The betting sector does not. There is a secretariat in the Ministry of Finance that decides in a monocratic manner, by ordinance," said Baigorri.
Source: Painel S.A. - Folha
