TLDR ANJL criticized the Brazilian government for leaving regulated betting operators out of a September 1 meeting on sports betting. President Lula chaired the session, which included health, culture, and religious groups but no licensed betting companies. The Ministry of Finance’s Secretariat of Prizes and Betting was also excluded from the discussion. ANJL disputed some of the data presented at the meeting, saying it did not match official figures. The association is requesting a new meeting and warned that restricting the legal market could push customers toward illegal operators.
Brazil’s National Association of Games and Lotteries has criticized the federal government for holding a meeting on sports betting without including licensed operators. The group, known as ANJL, released a statement the day after the event took place.
President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva led the meeting on September 1. It brought together representatives from health, culture, and economic sectors.
Civil society groups and religious institutions also attended. No companies from the regulated betting market were present.
ANJL Questions Who Was Left Out
ANJL said the absence of licensed operators made the conversation one-sided. The association pointed out that some groups included in the meeting had already expressed opposition to betting.
The exclusion went beyond private companies. The Secretariat of Prizes and Betting, the government body that regulates and supervises the sector, was also left out of the discussion.
ANJL president Plínio Lemos Jorge said this weakens the quality of the debate. He said regulated operators bring data and technical knowledge that the market needs.
Lemos said leaving out this group affects the fairness of any decisions made. He called for a more complete process going forward.
Dispute Over the Data Presented
ANJL also raised concerns about the information shared during the meeting. The group said some figures