Sports betting consultation does not work in Brazil

Brazilian residents warned that they cannot access the public consultation on sports betting, despite the government saying it has already launched.

Brazil.- Brazilian media has indicated that the public consultation on sports betting is not yet in operation. While the government reported last Friday that it had already launched, residents now argue that the site is not accessible to the public.

Last week, the new sports betting regulation project was unveiled in Brazil and it was announced that a public consultation to collect stakeholder opinions would be launched. On Friday, the Secretariat of Evaluation, Planning, Energy and Lottery of the Ministry of Economy (SECAP.ME), announced that the consultation had opened.

In the Official Gazette, they had revealed that the public consultation would be available from September 13 to 27. However, as Brazilian residents have warned, it still doesn’t work.

Sports betting regulations

The federal government already has the basis of the decree that will regulate sports betting in Brazil. At the moment, the authorities are working on the drafting of the decree that will establish said rules. In addition, they will set the tax regime and fines for those who operate illegally.

To operate in Brazil, companies must pay a single fee worth €660k. This licence is valid for nine years. After the deadline, the operator must pay again, an updated amount. As they explained, this is a mix between the United States and Italy model.

To put an end to illegal businesses, the government will set the tax rate at 1% of income. The market demanded that the tax regime be calculated on the gross income of the game (GGR). Taxing 1% of income is equivalent to 5% and 7% on GGR and contemplates the proposal of the private sector, according to the Ministry of Economy. This model is the same regime as Italy or England, already developed markets.