Brazil launches national drive to tackle match-fixing in sports

Brazil’s federal government has convened its first National Technical Meeting on Combating Match-Fixing in Sports, a coordinated effort to establish a national integrity policy and strengthen protections against fraud in the country’s sports sector. The three-day event, which began on Monday, September 29, at the Ministry of Sports, brings together stakeholders from across government, law enforcement, academia, and civil society.

The initiative comes amidst the growing threat of manipulation in sports results, particularly in the context of online betting. One of the meeting’s key objectives is to present the first version of a digital civic platform designed to detect and respond to suspicious activity, alongside a comprehensive manual of guidelines to aid in both prevention and investigation.

Developed by the Faculty of Science and Engineering Technologies at the University of Brasília (UnB), the Civic Digital Platform offers a suite of tools, including anonymous reporting, real-time competition monitoring, AI-based alerts, interactive dashboards, and educational resources. It is the result of a collaborative effort involving the Ministries of Sports, Finance, and Justice, as well as the Federal Police.

At the meeting’s opening, Giovanni Rocco Neto, National Secretary for Sports Betting and Economic Development of Sports, addressed the importance of cross-sector collaboration. “It is built through constant dialogue between government, sports entities, civil society, and the private sector,” he said, as reported by Games Magazine Brazil.

Rocco also emphasized the role of early education in preventing manipulation. “An essential pillar is grassroots education. It is among young athletes, coaches, and families that we must sow, from an early age, the principles of ethics, respect, and transparency, in order to build a strong culture of prevention and awareness,” he added.

The Secretary of Prizes and Betting at the Ministry of Finance, Regis Dudena, reflected on the challenges that arose from a long period without regulation. “This brought us many social, economic, and also sporting problems,” Dudena noted. He pointed to links between match-fixing and crimes such as fraud and money laundering, describing them as threats to both public welfare and the broader economy.

A central feature of the meeting is the release of the Match-Fixing Response Manual. The manual, according to officials, sets out national guidelines to improve how match-fixing cases are identified and addressed. The Federal Police’s Director of Investigation and Organized Crime, Dennis Cali, highlighted the group’s results-focused approach. 

“This Working Group was not created to postpone decisions, but to deliver concrete results. The presentation of the Match-Fixing Response Manual is an example of this work, covering everything from legal aspects to cases and typologies that enhance our response to this challenge,” he said.

Felipe Barros Leal, a Federal Police delegate and representative on the Interministerial Working Group, stressed the need for wider community involvement in tackling fraud. “We already had information provided by operators and integrity companies, but we lacked a third fundamental pillar: the participation of organized civil society,” Leal said. 

He credited the University of Brasília for enabling the development of the digital platform, which allows citizens to contribute information anonymously, potentially aiding in more effective investigations.

Coinciding with the event is the launch of ‘Apita Cidadão’ (Whistle Citizen), a federal government reporting channel now live at apitacidadao.com. The platform provides a streamlined four-step form for reporting suspected match-fixing, ensuring confidentiality and direct review by federal investigators.

Throughout the meeting, which concludes on Wednesday, delegates from all states and the Federal District are taking part in workshops and technical training sessions. These sessions cover investigative techniques, cross-referencing of betting data, and the use of advanced digital tools. The Ministry of Sports emphasized that this effort aims to leave behind a clear content base for training public agents and establishing best practices.

Authorities hope the training will standardize procedures across jurisdictions, improve coordination between civil and federal police, and enhance the agility of investigations. The goal is to reinforce the state’s ability to respond decisively to threats against the integrity of Brazilian sports.

Minister of Sports André Fufuca, in a statement, reiterated the urgency of a unified national response. “The government recognizes the urgency and the need to address such a complex issue that affects the lives of so many people. Therefore, joint nationwide action is essential, moving efforts in the same direction to tackle match-fixing,” he said.