Brazil ESPM event: Gambling sector divided between ‘serious’ players, ‘opportunists’ and ‘harmful’ operators

The Law Department of ESPM São Paulo, a prestigious communication university, in partnership with the Brazilian Institute of Education, Development and Research (IDP) and the Vezzi Lapolla law firm, held an event on consumer protection in betting.

Named Bets and Consumer Protection: Challenges and Perspectives, the idea was to examine the challenges of safeguarding consumers in the expanding betting market and discuss it with the students.

The opening panel, Consumer in the Betting Environment, brought together government, industry and legal representatives. 

Participants included Regis Dudena, Secretary of Prizes and Betting (SPA) at Brazil’s Ministry of Finance; Gustavo Godinho, DPO and Legal Counsel at Blaze and Laura Morganti, Director of Consumer Relations at BetBoom. 

The discussion was moderated by Professor Eric Hadmann Jasper of IDP, who previously served at Brazil’s Ministry of Justice in roles related to competition, consumer protection and regulation.

Speakers outlined how the absence of clear regulation in the early years of Brazil’s market led operators to diverge into three groups: “serious actors, opportunists and those operating outside the law, the harmful ones,” according to Dudena. 

He noted that while consumer law has always been in force, “there was a perception that there were no rules,” which has harmed trust in the sector.

Morganti stressed the importance of communication with consumers and warned that total advertising bans could strengthen illegal companies. 

Godinho then compared poorly regulated operators to “gremlins,” arguing they re-emerge and multiply on new platforms without transparent oversight.

Good to know: Brazil’s SPA is working to advance the creation of a National Betting System

Debate also touched on indebtedness. Godinho pointed to the need for alignment between processes, systems and education, while Morganti highlighted the need for stronger financial literacy among Brazilian consumers. 

Dudena also added that regulatory responsibility lies with operators, including providing exclusion tools and deposit limits: “There is no such thing as responsible gaming without operator accountability.”

Speaking exclusively to Gaming America after the panel, Moderator Professor Jasper concluded: “The most important thing is to have an impartial, scientific debate, based on data, where consumer rights and regulated markets can converge in defense of the consumer.”

Indeed, Professor Jasper’s is a sentiment echoed by many within gambling. The billion-real question is: can impartiality ever truly be achieved in gambling regulation – either way?

Carlos Mendez

Writer

Odds tell a story long before the result does. When bettors learn to read that story properly, betting becomes a matter of discipline and value rather than emotion or guesswork.

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