Offering bets on youth tournaments is prohibited by law. In December 2024, a Technical Note from the Ministry specifically banned wagers on Copinha matches, as well as sponsorship by betting companies in the tournament, on uniforms, and in any advertising during broadcasts.
“Some betting operators ended up offering the so-called Copinha, which is for an under-21 audience, and that led to sanctioning proceedings against the companies that did so,” said the Secretary of Prizes and Betting at the Ministry of Finance, Regis Dudena, in an interview with C-Level Entrevista by Folha.
“They had full rights to defense and the ability to explain themselves, but once it was proven that the wagers were offered, certain penalties [will be] applied.”
The Ministry will only release the names of the companies facing proceedings once all appeals have been exhausted.
The SPA sanctioning process begins with an internal supervisory body, which requests explanations from companies suspected of irregularities. If the SPA is not satisfied with the responses, it forwards the case to another subsecretariat dedicated to the administrative sanctioning process itself.
This second body analyzes evidence, weighs the company’s arguments, and decides whether the betting operator should be sanctioned. The operator still has the right to appeal, and if the appeal is denied, it may escalate the case to the Secretary of Prizes and Betting.
Back in March, during the tournament, the National Council for Advertising Self-Regulation (Conar) reported having identified 32 irregular betting advertisements in the ‘Copinha’, according to O Globo.
Source: Folha
