GMB – There is increasing talk about sports integrity in relation to betting. What does it mean to you to be at an event organized by GovRisk and Genius Sports discussing such a relevant topic?
Giovanni Rocco Neto – It is of utmost importance to be present at events like this to talk about integrity in sports. This entire process of regulating sports betting began in 2018 with the legalization of the activity, which was always tied to sports. That is why integrity must be protected—without sports and integrity, betting loses its value.
What we value most in this process are the athletes. Without them, there would be no sports betting. Protecting integrity, the truth in game results, and athletes themselves—through information and training so they understand that there is only one right path, integrity—is essential to prevent corruption. In addition, we must combat the crime that arises around sports betting.
How has the Ministry of Sports been involved in clarifying the issue and protecting sports organizations, athletes, and the very ecosystem of sports betting?
What we are building together with the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Justice is the National Policy to Combat Match-Fixing. This is a new issue, and all the problems we currently face in relation to it stem from the lack of regulation under the Bolsonaro government. What the previous government failed to do in four years, we have accomplished in one, in a market the size of Brazil, which is already considered the second largest in the world.
So, we are drafting the National Policy to Combat Match-Fixing because action is needed at the frontline with the police, by training them, since this is a complex, transnational crime. State championships are investigated by the Civil Police. Meanwhile, the Brazilian Championship and the Copa do Brasil are investigated by the Federal Police Superintendencies in the regions where the matches take place. We need to provide guidance to the police, together with the Public Prosecutor’s Office, so that the process is carried out properly. At the same time, we must provide athletes with the information and training they need to follow the path of integrity.
In addition, we have the mission of delivering infrastructure. The resources generated from taxes on this activity must reach the Ministry of Sports to make all of this possible. It is a joint effort by the entire government and, most importantly, with the market. The market needs to understand that this is crucial, and without it, the structure of sports betting as a whole is compromised.
How can society be shown that match-fixing causes losses for betting operators?
This issue must be addressed by the market itself. It must be the one to discuss these losses. Our responsibility is to protect the Brazilian people, the athletes, and the bettors. On the other side, the market must play its part in highlighting these issues.
It’s worth remembering that match-fixing happens all over the world. The more effort is put into fighting it, the better, right?
Absolutely. It is a transnational crime. Sometimes the match-fixer is here in Brazil while the game is happening abroad. Other times, it’s the opposite. That is why international cooperation between police forces, as well as monitoring and investigative structures, is what we are working on.
And also technical cooperation agreements with anti-match-fixing entities?
That is something we have already done, and we are delivering results. I want to thank the integrity institutions for their partnership with the Brazilian government in providing this information.
Have the results been productive?
Absolutely. Today, the detection framework we have consists of the information that betting operators send to the Ministry of Finance and the technical cooperation agreements with integrity organizations.
Source: Exclusive GMB
