Brazil’s sports betting regulatory plans won’t be affected by the departure of a key legislator later this year, at least, according to that legislator.
On Wednesday, eGaming Review published an article suggesting that the imminent political exit of Alexandre Manoel, Brazil’s Secretary of Planning, Energy and Lottery (SECAP) at the Ministry of Economy, could delay the country’s plans to publish its
long-awaited sports betting regulations sometime this spring.
But Games Magazine Brasil subsequently published an interview with Manoel (pictured), who confirmed that he would be stepping down from political life “sometime this year” but stated that SECAP’s work on crafting Brazil’s fixed-odds sports betting regulations “continues and is evolving.” Manoel said with confidence that the sports betting regulations would be in place “by the end of March.”
Brazil approved legislation to legalize both online and land-based sports betting in December 2018. Ever since, wagering operators have been chomping at the bit at the prospect of obtaining a local betting license, even if the punitive 3% tax on online betting turnover – rising to 6% for land-based bookies – was thrown into the mix fairly late in the process.
Earlier this month, SECAP’s undersecretary Waldir Eustáquio Marques Jr. said the government hoped to attract up to 50 major international betting operators to Brazil’s licensing process. Marques also expressed hope that Brazil’s betting licensees would plow money into local sport through legally approved sponsorship activities.
Some major betting operators are already sponsoring Brazilian football teams while other companies have begun positioning themselves to be first in line when betting licenses are issued. Late last year, Nordic betting operator Betsson took a 75% stake in Brazilian race betting operator Suaposta, which claims the mantle of the country’s only fully licensed online betting brand. For now.
