The Brazilian Institute for Responsible Gaming (IBJR) ensures that banning specific types of betting, such as cards and other individual player actions, will not end result manipulations. In an article in Jota, the entity that groups the main players in the sector states that this would not solve the problem and would still push the bettor towards illegal companies, which operate without any supervision.
Recent cases of football players investigated for allegedly forcing the receipt of yellow cards to manipulate results and influence the online betting market have been sparking intense debates about bets on individual behaviors.
The solution pointed out by some authorities, including within the scope of parliamentary inquiry commissions (CPIs) on ongoing bets in Congress, is the prohibition of this modality.
For the Brazilian Institute for Responsible Gaming (IBJR), this would not solve the problem and would still push the bettor towards illegal companies, which operate without any supervision.
“Banning specific types of bets will not end result manipulations. Fraudsters will seek the illegal market to continue with this harmful practice, which harms sports, the bettor, and society in general,” states IBJR president, Andre Gelfi.
“Therefore, regulation is essential so that all protection mechanisms are activated and curb all illegalities. We trust in the effectiveness of the regulation that comes into force on January 1,” he says.
IBJR represents 75% of the Brazilian online sports betting market, being formed by companies with global operations and accumulated experience in mature markets, such as the United States, England, and Australia.
For the institute and its associates, regulating the sector is the only way to combat fraud and ensure transparency, security, and sports integrity.
New rules
Starting January 1, 2025, sports betting companies will be required to adopt a new termination in their internet domains (.bet.br), indicating their legitimacy to operate in Brazil within existing norms. This measure will help bettors identify and differentiate legalized companies from opportunists or clandestine companies.
Bets will also be required to use facial recognition tools to prevent minors under 18 from betting. And they must offer mechanisms for bettors to set maximum limits on time played and financial losses. Other measures to prevent abusive use, contain compulsion, and combat addiction have already been anticipated, such as blocking the use of credit cards.
“The regulation has been reinforced with measures to supervise the sector adopted by the Ministry of Finance, which has partnered with international sports integrity protection organizations, such as the International Betting Integrity Association (IBIA), an entity to which IBJR and member companies are associated,” points out Rafael Marchetti Marcondes, legal director of IBJR.
“With these cooperation agreements, the Ministry of Finance's Awards and Betting Secretariat will have new fronts for monitoring and intelligence in identifying suspicious movements in games of competitions played on national territory,” he reinforces.
Actions of IBJR and associates
IBJR aims to develop a sustainable, safe, reliable online betting ecosystem that generates benefits for bettors, the sector, and society as a whole.
In line with this positioning, the associated companies already carry out a very proactive work to curb manipulation of results and other frauds in the betting environment, as shown in the following graph, having the experience gained in mature international markets and technology as main allies.
Through artificial intelligence and data monitoring systems, all financial and game movements are tracked. When any inconsistency is detected, there is an alert signal for a more in-depth analysis.
Inconsistencies in registration data, volumes and forms of payment, locality of bets, player habits, and financial capacity are also evaluated.
All daily bets also undergo scans, detecting movements that may constitute some type of manipulation. Among them, concentration of bets in a specific situation of a single match, people making bets out of the standard and simultaneously on various platforms, and the sudden creation of profiles that make large movements.
When suspicious movements are identified by the associates, the data is shared with the IBIA, which conducts a detailed investigation. When there are indications of fraud, the case is reported to the sports authority responsible for the modality, which activates the competent authorities.
"The regulation brings important determinations focused on the transparency and fairness of bets. We are always ready to collaborate with the government, based on the experience that our associates have. It is important to combat illegal companies that do not subject themselves to strict standards of supervision and fraud combat. Illegal behaviors have nothing to do with the clean and responsible gaming we work for", concludes Gelfi.
Source: Jota
