Plínio Lemos Jorge, president of the National Association of Games and Lotteries (ANJL), believes legal operators could end up exiting Brazil if the illegal market isn’t effectively tackled.
Last week Regis Dudena, the leader of the Secretariat of Prizes and Bets in Brazil, revealed 71 operators have had their license applications approved. Already 16 betting companies have paid the BRL30 million ($4.9 million) concession fee.
The legal market is due to launch on 1 January 2025, but with that go-live date now just over two weeks away, the threat of illegal operators is still lingering.
The ANJL previously revealed over 2,000 illegal sites are still operating in Brazil. Carlos Baigorri, the president of the National Telecommunications Agency (Anatel) has warned its attempts to block these operators are like “mopping up ice”.
