Brazil forms interministerial group to draft national policy against match-fixing

Brazil has launched a coordinated initiative to combat the manipulation of sports results, with the Ministers of Sports, Finance, and Justice and Public Security signing a joint ordinance on Tuesday (September 9) to establish a Working Group (WG) tasked with drafting a National Policy on the issue.

The ordinance, MESP/MF/MJSP No. 1, was signed by Sports Minister André Fufuca, Finance Minister Fernando Haddad, and Justice and Public Security Minister Ricardo Lewandowski. It outlines measures to strengthen integrity in sports competitions and expand cooperation across institutions and borders in response to growing concerns over illegal betting practices.

The WG will operate for 180 days from its first meeting, with the option of a single extension for the same duration. During this period, the committee will meet twice a month, with additional sessions possible at the request of the coordinator. At the end of its mandate, the group will submit a final report to the three ministries with its conclusions and recommendations.

Giovanni Rocco Neto, National Secretary for Sports Betting and Economic Development of Sport, has been appointed coordinator of the WG. He will lead a 14-member committee drawn from the Ministry of Sports, the Ministry of Finance, and the Ministry of Justice and Public Security.

The group’s mandate includes drafting the National Policy to Combat the Manipulation of Sports Results and establishing guidelines aligned with international standards for detecting, investigating, and punishing fraudulent practices.

It is also charged with developing a collaborative system for receiving and processing reports of match-fixing, analyzing existing laws and international best practices, and proposing training materials for public officials working on sports integrity.

The guiding principles for the new policy include integrity, transparency, and legality in sports competitions; coordinated and efficient collaboration across institutions; cooperation at both national and international levels; and effective accountability for those involved in manipulation schemes.

The Ministry of Sports is represented by Rocco Neto as coordinator, alongside Denise Caminha Nóbrega Barbosa, Director of Integrity in Sports Betting, who serves as deputy, as well as Lorena Martins Passos and Danilo Barbosa Mendonça.

From the Ministry of Finance, the representatives are Fabio Augusto Macorin, Undersecretary of Monitoring and Supervision; Carlos Renato Xavier de Resende, General Coordinator of Monitoring of Money Laundering and Related Matters; and André Lartigau Wainer, Coordinator of Monitoring of Money Laundering and Related Matters.

The Ministry of Justice and Public Security has participants from multiple branches. These include João Paulo Orsini Marnelli and Ana Cristina Braga de Sousa from the National Secretariat of Public Security; Bernardo Antonio Machado Mota and Maria Beatriz Pereira dos Santos Amaro from the National Secretariat of Justice; Vitor Hugo do Amaral Ferreira and Daiane Lima Lopes from the National Secretariat for Consumer Protection; and Federal Police Delegate Felipe Alcântara de Barros Leal.

The government stated that the work will be based on collaboration and efficiency, with the aim of harmonizing the roles of different agencies while closing gaps that could be exploited by illegal betting networks.