Brazil Proposes Tougher Penalties for Match-Fixing in Sports

Author:

Alexie Marone

|Published: August 19th, 2024

Brazil is set to amend its General Sports Law to impose harsher penalties on those involved in match-fixing.

Initially proposed by Representative Bandeira de Mello and revised by Representative Orlando Silva, the bill aims to bolster the integrity of sports in Brazil.

Key Amendments to the General Sports Law

Increased Penalties: The current penalties for match-fixing include a prison term of two to six years and a fine. The revised bill proposes to increase these penalties by a third to a half if the offender is a referee, player, coach, bettor, agent, manager, director, or representative of a sports club.
Solicitation and Recruitment: The amended bill also introduces a prison sentence of two to six years for those who solicit or recruit individuals like referees, athletes, coaches, or directors to engage in match-fixing.

The sports committee has already approved the bill, which will now be analyzed by the Chamber of Deputies' plenary before moving to the Senate for final approval.

Representative Orlando Silva emphasized the bill's necessity: "Unfortunately, match-fixing in sports is an old problem. We need to impose more severe sanctions to maintain sporting integrity in Brazil."

In a related move, the Paraná State Lottery (Lottopar) has issued Ordinance No. 67/2024, which prohibits individuals who can influence sports results from betting.

This includes athletes, coaches, referees, and members of sports administrative boards participating in competitions organized by Brazil's National Sports System.

Lottopar aims to follow best international practices to eradicate match-fixing.

Match-Fixing Concerns in Brazilian Football

The regulation of sports betting in Brazil, set to launch in January 2025, faces challenges due to concerns about manipulation, particularly in football.

A parliamentary inquiry commission (CPI) on sports betting was established following allegations of match-fixing by John Textor, owner of Botafogo de Futebol e Regatas, against São Paulo players and referees.

According to the International Betting Integrity Association (IBIA), Brazil ranked third globally for suspicious sports betting notifications in 2023, with all 11 cases arising from football games.

Despite this, Felippe Marchetti, Sportradar's integrity partnership manager for Brazil, noted a 60% reduction in match-fixing cases in the first half of 2024 compared to the previous year.

Marchetti remains optimistic, stating, "Politicians are showing concern and collaboration to protect football, a cultural heritage of the country.

Increased visibility and deepening investigations are helping deter manipulators."