The lawsuit, filed in June, was a response to statements from Abras that linked the regulated betting activity to worsening food insecurity in the country.
The meeting, held in São Paulo and mediated by lawyer Luciano Timm from the Carvalho, Machado e Timm law firm, marked the beginning of a dialogue between the two sectors. The goal is to advance shared interests, particularly concerning the financial well-being of consumers.
“We showed Abras and the Institute for Retail Development (IDV), which also attended the meeting, that everyone's focus should be on combating illegal gambling. Operators without authorization to operate in Brazil have no concern for the integrity of bets or the protection of bettors. We shared this perspective and will continue deepening the conversation in future meetings,” explained ANJL president Plínio Lemos Jorge.
Lawyers Bernardo Freire (ANJL) and Alexandre Araújo (galera.bet) highlighted the UK regulatory model as an example of best practices for the betting industry, which has successfully channeled a large portion of the market into legal operations.
However, no consensus was reached between the two sectors regarding betting market advertising. Retail representatives advocate for stricter legislation and stronger tools to control betting ads.
Conversely, industry representatives, including ANJL, warned that banning or excessively restricting advertising would only empower the illegal market, leaving bettors even more unprotected. Fernando Vieira, president of the Brazilian Institute of Responsible Gaming (IBJR), who was also invited to the meeting, pointed out that around 80% of bettors cannot distinguish between a legal and an illegal operator.
Participants of the meeting included: Paulo Pompilio, Rogério Leverin, Marcio Milan, and João Galassi (ABRAS); Jorge Gonçalves Filho (IDV); Paula Ornelas (ABIA); Edgard de Castro (AFRAC); Antonio Carlos Stefano (CCB/ACSP); Iasmin Cristina Freitas (ANR); Edvaldo Frasson (ABIC); Julio João Pereira (ANAMACO); Luciana Pellegrino (ABRE); Alessandro Vieira (UNECS); Alexandre Araújo (Galera Brasil); Bernardo Freire and Plinio Lemos Jorge (ANJL); and Fernando Vieira (IBJR).
Source: GMB
