Giovanni Rocco Neto, National Secretary of Sports Betting at the Ministry of Sports, stated this Tuesday (April 7, 2026) that combating the illegal betting market requires coordination between different public bodies. The statement was given in an interview with Poder360 during the , held in São Paulo.
According to Neto, he would simply not be able to face the problem alone, requiring joint action with the Ministry of Justice and the Central Bank.
The secretary highlighted that, since the regulation of sports betting, carried out during the Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) government, more than 27,000 irregular websites have been blocked, while only 85 companies have acquired official licenses. “The big challenge today, after 1 year and 3 months of the regulated market, is confronting the illegal market. This requires coordination between the Ministry of Justice, the Central Bank and the Ministry of Sports”he stated.
Watch the interview with Giovanni Rocco, national secretary of Sports Betting:
Giovanni also stated that the betting sector is a public service concession and that the protection of families is a priority for the State. He mentioned the recent publication of the National Policy to combat match manipulation, which establishes permanent mechanisms to guarantee sporting integrity and the predictability of results.
Regarding the expansion of casinos in Brazil, the secretary noted that the debate still needs to mature. “It is much easier to control the physical casino than the mobile casino, mainly due to issues of problem gambling. The lack of institutional and regulatory control hindered this discussion”, he stated.
BIS SIGMA SOUTH AMERICA
BiS SiGMA is a meeting of companies and professionals from the iGaming, bettech and sports betting sectors in Brazil. The event takes place from April 6 to 9, 2026, at the Transamerica Expo Center, in São Paulo.
The conference brings together more than 50 panels and 250 confirmed panelists. According to the organization, the objective is to promote dialogue between different sectors on topics such as the 1st year of betting regulation in the country, the fight against illegality and the possible return of physical casinos.
The event has a media partnership with Poder360which provides coverage with live interviews on YouTube and recording podcasts in a studio set up in the pavilion, with the participation of experts, authorities and businesspeople.
