The Secretariat of Prizes and Betting (SPA) of the Ministry of Finance presented, on Tuesday, August 11, at a hearing of the External Commission on Acts of Piracy in the Chamber of Deputies, an overview of enforcement actions against illegal betting. The undersecretary for Monitoring and Enforcement, Carlos Renato Resende, stated that domain blocking began operating automatically, resulting in the removal of more than 60,000 irregular sites.
Resende announced new guidelines to interrupt the cash flow of irregular companies. "When this money is blocked, the harmed consumer may come forward and prove that part of this money is theirs, to be compensated," he said. He explained that at the end of the process, if the legal entity does not prove the legal origin of the money, the funds will be forfeited to the Brazilian State and allocated to the National Public Security Fund.
The undersecretary acknowledged that total elimination of the parallel market is difficult. "Nowhere in the world has an illegal market been eradicated," he pointed out.
Integrated action against illegal operators
The Federal Court of Accounts (TCU) recommended the creation of a task force involving the Central Bank, the Federal Revenue Service, the National Telecommunications Agency (Anatel), and the Federal Police. The TCU's secretary for External Governance Control, Wesley Vaz, demanded efficiency: "There is a need for the State to better block domains, interrupt financial flows, and sanction illegal operators."
Decline of the illegal market
A study by the Locomotiva Institute showed that the clandestine market's share fell from 41%-51% to 38%-41%. For Eric Brasil, director of LCA Consultoria, the decline is 11% of the illegal market. "Good news: the illegal market appears to be falling. What is the concerning side? When we compare with other jurisdictions, other countries, we still have a very large illegal market," he explained.
Congressman Julio Lopes (PP-RJ) stated that the reduction, albeit small, is a reason for celebration. "I think any progress in the fight against irregularity, smuggling, piracy, and tax evasion must be highly celebrated," he said.
The Brazilian Institute of Responsible Gaming (IBJR) recalled that the regulated environment requires facial biometrics and traceability of payments. Letícia Ferraz, director of the Human Rights and New Technologies Laboratory (Labsul), warned that uncontrolled operation can lead to over-indebtedness and psychiatric crises.
