Event in Brasilia brings together government and industry to evaluate the first year of betting regulation.
Representatives from the government and the betting industry met at the Mané Garrincha stadium to discuss the results of the sector’s first regulatory cycle in the country. The Bet On Brasil | 1 Year of Regulation event took place this Thursday (January 29th) in Brasília. The meeting analyzed the progress achieved and the challenges that persist since the implementation of the regulatory framework.
Organized by Paag, a technology and payment facilitator company, with support from ANJL (National Association of Games and Lotteries), the event brought together 100 participants in a 100% in-person format, consolidating the federal capital as the decision-making center of the Brazilian regulatory debate.
Opening Panel
The opening panel, “One Year of Regulation: What Worked and What Still Needs Improvement,” features Regis Dudena, who is leaving the Secretariat of Prizes and Betting at the Ministry of Finance following his appointment to the Secretariat of Economic Reforms, published in the Official Gazette of the Union today. Plínio Jorge Lemos, president of the National Association of Games and Lotteries (ANJL), will also participate in the debate.
Overview and news from the regulated sector
Regis Dudena presented a summary of his 22 months leading the Prizes and Betting Secretariat and announced the creation of a centralized tool for monitoring bettor profiles.
“A year of regulated market didn’t begin on the first day of the legislation. To get here, we’ve had, well, ups and downs. We had the first legalization in 2018,” said the secretary.
One of the highlights of the presentation was the announcement of the new platform being developed by the Ministry of Finance. “And regarding major projects, one of the spoilers I would give, of a very large and relevant project for this year, is the idea of having a centralized tool for monitoring the profile of the bettor,” revealed Dudena.
The tool will provide greater transparency to users. “We also have, in a centralized way, a place allocated within the Ministry of Finance, on GovBR, so that every bettor can access and know exactly where they have an account, how much they have spent, how much they have won, how much they have lost, how long they have been there, so that they can have this control. So, I think one of the major projects this year is this tool. Therefore, if we combine B2B regulation, the increase in ways to combat illegality and enforce compliance by unauthorized individuals, this new tool that is being developed, I think it will be one of the great achievements of this year,” he explained.
Combating clandestine operations
Ana Clara Barros, Director of Aigaming – International Association of Gaming and from Levante Brasil, moderated the panel and addressed the relationship between regulation and combating illegal operations.
“Considering the Anti-Faction Bill (PL 5582/25), we can say that not supporting a regulated market, a well-regulated market with good oversight, is to support criminal organizations in the illegal market, the ‘pirate betting’. Especially when we draw a parallel in which, in one year of a regulated market, the sector of…” bets “Have you achieved what no government has achieved in a hundred years of fighting against physical street gambling, against illegal gambling?”, he asked.
The president of ANJL began his participation with thanks. “I wanted to start my speech by thanking the entire event organization. This is the second event of the year; the first was in Barcelona last week at ICE. We had a wonderful event where ANJL was able to contribute again to the construction of Casa Brasil, a space where we can welcome all operators, regardless of association, to exchange ideas, chat, and help our sector to thrive and consolidate,” he declared.
Lemos acknowledged Dudena’s work. “And I think today is a moment for gratitude. I wanted to thank Secretary Régis, he was very modest, you know, Régis? When you took over back then, you should have paraphrased Juscelino Kubitschek. You should have said: ‘I’m going to do ten years in one’,” he stated.
The leader recalled the challenging context faced by the secretary. “And you did it, Régis, it’s truly a moment that makes me emotional, just like you were, because it’s like a movie playing in our heads. Back in April 2024, when Régis was announced as secretary, during a tough phase for the industry, not just anyone could have done it, would have had the courage to take on that position at that moment, a position that was known to be attacked, confronted, and trampled upon, but you did it.”
Tax challenges and the future of regulation.
Lemos highlighted Dudena’s demonstrated competence. “In this year and ten months, you’ve done work that few people could achieve, with the support of your team. Everything we were able to contribute during these months was a result of your work, your openness, and your constant empathy. You always said, ‘I won’t make all concessions.’ And you did, you defended the government very well and defended the regulations,” he stated.
The president of ANJL praised the quality of the regulatory work. “If we have the best regulation in the world today, it’s thanks to you and your team. So, Regis, I can say with complete confidence in front of all of you: you made history, you signed the history of gambling here in Brazil. And I am very happy to participate in this moment, in this beautiful accountability report that you gave, an accountability report in fifteen minutes of twenty, yes, two months of work,” he declared.
Lemos emphasized the importance of preserving the sector’s achievements. “Really, all of us here in this room, and I see key people involved in the regulation as well, are part of this history, and you don’t close a chapter, you start a new one, you give us a chance now to consolidate this regulation. And consolidating this regulation, Ana Clara, is really about doing just that. It’s about not letting everything that has been done be buried. It’s about ensuring that everything that has been done, that we built with great difficulty, without sleepless nights, with much worry, is not destroyed by sectors that used us as ‘stepping stones’ last year,” he stated.
The leader mentioned the difficulties faced during the process. “We were ‘used as stepping stones’ last year because nobody knew what was happening, nobody bothered to find out what was going on, and they attacked us relentlessly. Now it’s our turn, it worked, the numbers are there, they were published last week, the week before last, yes, the regulation worked. And our battle from now on is to ensure that this regulation stands. So that in twenty, thirty, forty years, when people study regulation and legislation, they read about our name, see the work of Secretary Régis, the work that ANJL did, and the entire SPA secretariat,” he emphasized.
Lemos expressed concern about the potential increase in the tax burden. “This involves facing, I think the main problem this year, the tax increase within a bill dealing with crimes—we have nothing to do with that—in a CIDE tax that was created at 15% on deposits to open up this market. Yes, we cannot agree with this, we should not agree. We already had a tax increase last year, and this excessive increase is causing the industry to lose operators,” he warned.
The impact of taxation on smaller companies was highlighted. “We are seeing the difficulties faced by small and medium-sized businesses, you know? It’s not that easy. We have large operators, but small and medium-sized businesses are in a daily struggle. And the tax issue is a real differentiator, creating a disadvantage of unfair competition, especially for small businesses compared to the ‘pirate,’ let’s call them ‘pirates’ now, a term Ana Clara coined and which was very well received,” he explained.
Lemos reinforced the regulated sector’s position. “Yes, so our challenge is to show those who are still using us as a ‘stepping stone’ that we are no longer a stepping stone; we are a regulated sector that collects taxes, and any tax increase now will only incentivize pirates to dominate the market. So, our statement from before was this: if you are against regulation, you are in favor of organized crime. We have to say this, our position is this, it will always be this, especially because we want this market to survive and because our efforts—the efforts of Régis Dudena, of the entire sector, of the entire SPA—will succeed.”
Outros painéis
Among the panelists were Gabriella Boska, Coordinator of Management of the Psychosocial Care Network of the Ministry of Health, Luiz Orsatti Filho, Executive Director of Procon-SP, Hugo Ferreira, legal director of CONAR, as well as João Fraga, CEO of Paag, and Mila Rabelo, Compliance Director of the company. Raphael Salomão, partner at Pinheiro Neto Advogados and responsible for the area of payments and relationship with BACEN, also participated in the debates.
The full program included six main panels that addressed structuring themes such as regulation and market structure, compliance and social responsibility, taxation and public policies, technology and innovation, marketing and brand positioning, as well as global perspectives and international cooperation.
After twelve months of implementing the regulations, the betting sector is experiencing a historic milestone, with the market generating billions in revenue and Brazil consolidating itself as an emerging benchmark in Latin America. Operators have made significant progress in governance, technology, advertising, and risk prevention, although regulatory, tax, legal, and structural challenges still persist.
João Fraga, CEO of Paag, emphasizes: “Bet On Brasil aims to become a space for dialogue for the entire betting market, with the goal of analyzing the first year of regulation, bringing together government, market, and experts to discuss progress, challenges, and the future of the sector. It is the institutional stage where decisions are made and where Brazil’s vision as a global reference in responsible regulation is formed.”
