Zona de Azar Brasil – Brazil: Government Signs Agreement to Curb Match-Fixing

Brazil.- October 30, 2024 www.zonadeazar.com On Tuesday, the 29th, the government signed an agreement with four independent organizations aimed at curbing match-fixing in the sports betting market. These organizations hold significant influence and operate on an international scale.

The companies that signed the agreement were monitoring and integrity firms: Genius Sports, International Betting Integrity Association (IBIA), Sport Integrity Global Alliance (Siga and Siga Latin America), and Sportradar.

“I don’t want just one or another; I want all those who care and can help us with this challenging task on the international stage. The Brazilian state, along with other states around the world, has recognized this as an activity that needs regulation to address negative externalities. Today, the most pressing issue is match-fixing,” stated Regis Dudena, Secretary of Prizes and Betting at the Ministry of Finance.

“We will learn from the world, share data and knowledge with these organizations, and train public servants,” he concluded.

Meanwhile, Giovanni Rocco Neto, National Secretary of Sports Betting and Economic Development in Sports at the Ministry of Sport, said that there is a major concern to protect the image of national sports.

“We are concerned with the image and integrity of sports. We must act quickly and efficiently in punishing and investigating any cases of match-fixing, not just in football. We also have concerns about high-performance sports, individual sports like tennis, judo, and boxing, which are easier to manipulate in practice,” added Giovanni Rocco Neto.

Sérgio Floris of Sportradar stated, “We believe Brazil will leave its position as a leader in a global match-fixing ranking compiled by our company.” He added, “This doesn’t mean the fight is over, but it shows the serious work being done by the government and organizations.”

João Amaral, representing Genius Sports, said, “We have 160 partners around the world with whom we share data and technology to prevent manipulation and fraud. A sport without credibility affects not only athletes, bettors, and professionals who rely on sports to make a living.”

Finally, Graham Tidey of the International Betting Integrity Association highlighted the importance of this partnership. Meanwhile, Manoel de Medeiros of the Sport Integrity Global Alliance (Siga and Siga Latin America) estimated that global sports betting reaches between $3 trillion and $5 trillion annually.

“The Brazilian government has directly confronted a highly complex problem with significant impact,” he concluded.

Edited by: @_fonta www.zonadeazar.com