Minister of Sports André Fufuca reaffirms the Brazilian government’s position to join the Macolin Convention. “The commitment of President Lula’s government is to ensure that Brazilians feel protected and trust our sports betting oversight system. This decision shows that we are vigilant and fulfilling our responsibilities. We will not allow the online betting environment to be taken over by illegal operators. We work tirelessly to fight match-fixing and to safeguard the integrity of sporting competitions,” the minister stated.
In Brazil, the fixed-odds sports betting sector is in full expansion, driven by increasing digitalization and the population’s passion for sports, especially football.
Since the approval of Law No. 13.756/2018, which legalized this market, the country has been undergoing a regulatory process aimed at establishing a legal framework that promotes legal certainty, consumer protection, and state revenue collection. The sector has strong economic potential, attracting investment from both domestic and international operators, as well as boosting sports sponsorship.
Despite the progress, the process still faces challenges such as tackling the illegal market, ensuring responsible gambling practices, preventing crimes like money laundering, integrating with state legislation, and creating the infrastructure needed to monitor compliance.
With regulatory advances, Brazil has the opportunity to become a regional benchmark in the sector, maximizing the economic and social benefits of this activity.
The Macolin Convention enables public authorities to cooperate with sports organizations, betting operators, and competition organizers to prevent, detect, and sanction the manipulation of sports competitions. It also proposes a common legal framework for international cooperation to address this global threat.
The National Secretary for Sports Betting and Economic Development in Sports, Giovanni Rocco, welcomed the decision and considered it an essential step to safeguard the integrity of sport.
For him, collaboration with specialized partners that have advanced technology, global data, and a proven track record in monitoring and tackling sports fraud aligns Brazil with international best practices and ensures a fair and trustworthy sports environment for athletes, clubs, fans, and regulated betting operators.
“Brazil’s accession to the Macolin Convention is strategic because match-fixing is a transnational crime. This cooperation, the exchange of intelligence data—particularly regarding information sharing—is crucial. That is why this integration with Europe will allow us to adopt much more effective measures in combating the complex and transnational crime of match-fixing,” stated Giovanni Rocco.
Macolin Convention
The Council of Europe Convention on the Manipulation of Sports Competitions, also known as the Macolin Convention, entered into force on September 1, 2019. It has been ratified by France, Greece, Iceland, Italy, Lithuania, Norway, Portugal, the Republic of Moldova, Switzerland, and Ukraine. It has also been signed by 32 other European states, as well as by Australia and Morocco.
Source: GMB
