Mediated by Fellipe Fraga, from EstrelaBet, the panel “Sports Betting: from Regulation to Final Product”, which brought together Leonardo Baptista (Pay4Fun), Magnho José (IJL), Rafael Zanette (EstrelaBet) and Udo Seckelmann (Bichara e Motta Advogados), brought an overview of the importance of the sector as a modern, clean economic activity with a great impact, even in the engagement of football club fans with their teams and championships.
The core of the discussion involved the issue of regulation, pending a presidential decision for the implementation of what determines Law 13,756/18, with great focus on the importance of sponsored clubs knowing their partners well.
“This is a very solid market, which offers quality entertainment very seriously. Gambling for money should not lead anyone to think that gambling will make someone rich. The bet is just another adrenaline rush for those who follow their favorite team,” commented Leonardo Baptista, CEO of Pay4Fun, noting that “behind a sportsbook there is a great foundation for them to work well. There are software, platform and payment methods providers that guarantee excellence in providing this service.”
Bichara e Motta Advogados specialist Udo Seckelmann said that bookmakers need to show themselves to the market as a serious activity and attentive to the needs of customers in order to succeed in the market. For him, “there is a lot of seriousness, including from the point of view of combating the manipulation of results, since this practice is not of interest either to her or to the sector.
He recalled that in several international congresses he is asked about the legality of sports betting in Brazil: “It is always difficult to explain without entering the ‘legal intricacies, because there is a law for the activity and there is still a lack of regulation. What I say is that, although it is not regulated, it is legal.”
Rafael Zanette, Head of Sponsorship at EstrelaBet, commented that the proximity to football clubs and the sponsorship of jerseys have brought bookmakers closer to society as a whole. “Football is a great calling card for bookmakers and clubs must always seek actions to show the importance of this partnership”.
Udo Seckelmann reinforced this concept when he said that “today, bookmakers dominate club jerseys in Brazil and sponsorship has to be worked together with the teams, as the entire ecosystem is benefited, including by reinforcing the engagement of fans. What teams should keep in mind is that it's no use just receiving the sponsorship quota. Working with revenue share, for example, opens up even more the range of opportunities.”
Fellipe Fraga, even as the panel's mediator, recalled that “when we were discussing the sponsorship contract with one of the clubs we work with, we received numerous visits from managers to understand the seriousness of EstrelaBet. When they saw our professionalism, they opted for the signature.”
Leo Baptista endorsed Fraga's speech, noting that “it is very important that clubs know the bookmakers that are approaching for an agreement. To operate, a sportbook needs numerous international certifications that involve platform, software, means of payment and everything that involves the operation. So KYC should also be seen from the club's point of view.”
Magnho José, President of the Legal Gaming Institute (IJL in Portuguese), highlighted that the delay in regulation concerns only a presidential decision. “Brazil has lottery games that generate R$ 18.5 billion (US$ 3.4b), while illegal gambling is around R$ 27 billion (US$ 5b) and unregulated sports betting reaches R$ 6 billion (US$ 1.1b). In other words, practically half of the gaming market in Brazil has taxation. The government and the country lose a lot from the lack of regulation of betting and the legalization of the other gaming verticals,” he defined.
Speakers also discussed the existence of many compliance rules, concern for responsible gambling, combating money laundering and ludopathy, as well as anti-match results manipulation actions, which make the sports betting industry compare itself with other economic activities, such as the financial market, regarding the rigidity of the rules imposed.
“The betting and cash game sector has been consolidated for many years in Brazil, all that is missing is formality. All sports betting companies operating in the country are certified in serious jurisdictions and their international licenses are extremely strict, which gives the certainty that they already work in Brazil with clear and adequate rules,” guaranteed Leo Baptista.
Source: Exclusive GMB
