Legislación
Brazil – Deadline for sports betting regulation passes
By James - 13 de diciembre de 2022
The government of President Jair Bolsonaro had until yesterday to finalize the process of regulating sports betting but that deadline has now passed. This is because according to the law enacted by his predecessor Ley número 13,756 required the Ministry of Finance (currently the Ministry of Economy) to promote the regulation of sports betting within a time limit of four years.
Law No. 13,756 was signed by then President of Brazil, Michel Temer in 2018 and legalised sports betting. Brazil’s Secretariat of Evaluation, Planning, Energy and Lottery (SECAP) had been working on how sports betting could be regulated for some years and last year the ex head of SECAP went as far to say that the privatization of sportsbetting would go ahead of this year’s World Cup.
There has been a series of delays while Bolsonaro has danced around the issue. Bolsonaro had said that he would sign the bill before the deadline and was in the process of editing the decree that would regulate online sports betting.
But the decree was delayed after Bolsonaro held a meeting with conservative legislator marcus feliciano. Feliciano said that he had convinced Bolsonaro as the practice went against the evangelical faith and would pave the way for the opening up of land based casinos. However in October Bolsonaro seemed to switch stance on the issue again and said that he was in the process of finalising the decree.
The Ministry of Finance was granted two years to establish a regulatory framework to govern the market and provide for licences although this could be extended for a further two. In February 2020, Brazil’s Secretariat of Evaluation, Planning, Energy and Lottery (PACES) lanzó una tercera consulta sobre las apuestas deportivas de cuotas fijas, solicitando comentarios del público. En noviembre del año pasado, el director del SECAP Gustavo Guimaraes afirmó que SECAP estaba trabajando en varios frentes diferentes para garantizar que la privatización de las apuestas deportivas se adelantara a la Copa Mundial de la FIFA Qatar 2022.
It is unclear as to what will now happen in terms of the sports betting bill but after over four years and with just days before he leaves office it now seems highly unlikely that Bolsonaro will sign the bill.
