Brazil Land-Based Legalization Hopes Boosted by New Senate President
Brazil’s prospects for land-based gambling legalization received a significant boost Feb. 1 with the re-election of gambling advocate Davi Alcolumbre as Senate president.
Alcolumbre, who previously served as Senate president between 2019 and 2021, has been a strong supporter of gambling in Brazil. As the Senate kicked off its 2025 legislative session, he was sworn in after securing a decisive victory, winning 73 out of 81 votes.
Notably, he held off anti-gambling competitor Eduardo Girão, who received just four votes after criticizing Alcolumbre’s pro-betting beliefs in a speech ahead of the vote.
In his role as president of the Justice and Citizenship Committee, he helped to progress the bill to legalize land-based gambling. While the Senate is yet to vote on the proposal, O Globo reported Alcolumbre has shared his desires to get land-based gambling legalization over the line.
Bolivian Football Federation Investigating Five Players for Match-Fixing
The Bolivian Football Federation (FBF) ethics committee is investigating five Club Real Santa Cruz players over alleged match-fixing in 2024.
On Jan. 28, the FBF announced Real Santa Cruz soccer players Ricardo Suárez, Oscar Ribera, Luis Ruono, Samuel Pozo, and Brian López, along with club officials, must submit a report to the federation by Feb. 10. Failure to comply could result in sanctions for non-cooperation.
The investigation focuses on three matches from December 2024, in which Real Santa Cruz suffered defeats by a combined score of 10-3. The South American Football Confederation (Conmebol) flagged the three matches after match-fixing monitors detected irregularities in the betting markets.
The new investigation comes after the 2023 Bolivian top-flight league was temporarily halted over suspicions of match-fixing.
IBJR Seeks to Intervene in STF Case Against Loterj
The Brazilian Institute of Responsible Gaming (IBJR) has asked to join the Supreme Federal Court (STF) case against the Rio de Janeiro State Lottery (Loterj), arguing that Loterj licensees can effectively implement geolocation tracking.
The IBJR has requested to join the STF case as “amicus curiae” (friend of the court), stating it has relevant information to contribute to the proceedings.
The ongoing dispute between Loterj and the Brazilian Federal Government took a turn in early January when STF Minister André Mendonça passed a preliminary decision to ban Loterj licensees operating nationwide, mandating geolocation tracking to ensure compliance from operators.
The IBJR claims Loterj licensees already have access to geolocation tracking technology. It argues the state regulator’s request for a 180-day extension to the original five-day deadline for implementing the technology is unwarranted.
Colombian Regulator Shuts Down 10,000 Sites Over Illegal Betting
In its most recent effort to combat the black market, Coljuegos, Colombia’s gambling regulator, has blocked 10,000 websites and social media profiles involved in illegal betting.
In a statement released on Feb. 3, Coljuegos announced it had blocked these sites and profiles for offering gambling activities without a local license, and thus failing to pay the annual license fee.
Only 16 sites are currently authorised to offer legal online betting in Colombia, paying around COP435.2 billion ($104.5 million) in license fees during 2024, all of which went to the country’s health system.
Coljuegos President Marco Emilio Hincapié stated blocking these sites supports the government’s goal of better protecting Colombia’s health sector.
Brazil Betting Industry Poised for Stability in 2025, Says Legal Expert
Specialist betting lawyer Udo Seckelmann of Bichara e Motta Advogados predicts the first year of Brazil’s legal online gambling market will focus on interpreting and consolidating regulations.
With the legal online market launching on Jan. 1, Seckelmann anticipates 2025 will be a “year of consolidation” for gambling in Brazil, with regulations and the regulator’s expectations being interpreted and finalized.
“For example, with all the scrutiny we’ve had on the sector, maybe it’s a possibility that the regulator, or other public authorities in Brazil, will say that you have to further restrict advertising or increase gambling taxes,” Seckelmann told iGB.
Seckelmann also warned the ongoing pressure from the public against the Brazilian gambling industry over its impact on addiction levels and consumer habits is influencing politicians’ attempts to bring in new regulations to restrict the sector.
