SBC News Voice of the Sports Betting Industry
Leading figureheads in Brazilian sports governance have urged the PSL government to help form a ‘Sports Integrity Committee’, driving an agenda on developing sports betting safeguards and protections.
At present, Brazilian policymakers are assessing the regulatory frameworks propositioned by the government’s ‘draft decree’ on establishing a regulated land-based and digital sports betting marketplace.
This summer, Brazilian authorities allowed diverse stakeholders to comment on the decree’s mandate, which saw the government criticised for failing to add any substantial sports integrity governance and monitoring provisions.
Detailing guidance, international sports betting integrity body the IBIA underlined that the decree’s integrity frameworks were significantly insufficient should Brazil push to regulate modern sports betting services.
At a meeting of Brazilian sports leaders, the formation of an integrity-led sports body or council was discussed, with the primary objective of protecting Brazilian sports clubs, athletes and wider communities.
Any development of a ‘Sports Integrity Committee’ will require the participation of Brazil’s Ministry of Justice, offering legal and federal policing oversight.
In addition, cooperating parties seek for the Ministry of Sports to oversee the development of the committee in the interest of representing Brazil’s diverse sports stakeholders.
Sports figurehead Emanuel Rêgo, who this April was appointed the secretary of Brazil’s anti-doping unit (ABCD), stated he would be willing to present committee plans to Brazilian ministers.
However, Rêgo – a former Olympic gold medallist for beach volleyball – has told Brazil’s sports leaders that a ‘working group on policies’ will be required to dissect the multi-layered complexities of governing sports integrity.
