SBC Americas reviewed the most relevant news from Latin America, this time from February 2023. Brazil was once again the dominant country last month, mainly because of a match-fixing scandal that is helping the country get regulations in place. Chile is also in the spotlight as a result of a legislative debate, while its main operator Enjoy launched an online casino platform in Brazil.
Fraud in Brazil
The Public Ministry of the state of Goiás received alerts from at least three different high-profile soccer games. The authorities started an investigation into a criminal group related to sports betting and match-fixing, where players allegedly received around $30,000 per bet. Although this is the most relevant case, it wasn’t the only one investigated in Brazil in February, which is why the authorities accelerated the debate around regulations in order to have more tools to fight match-fixing.
Chile’s regulator warns media about gambling advertising
The Superintendence of Gambling Casinos (SCJ) filed an official complaint against the news stations Canal13, CHV, TVN, and Mega as well as the Association of Chilean Broadcasters for including sports betting ads. At the same time, the online casino and sports betting operators represented by the lawyer Carlos Baeza defended themselves and argued that they’re not operating outside the guidelines since there isn’t an existing ban around the sector in Chile.
Enjoy lands in Brazil
The Chilean casino operator Enjoy took a historic step in its regional strategy by reaching the Brazilian online market with its EnjoyWin offering. The online casino and betting platform officially launched at the end of February and features an expanded offer that includes live casino, betting, table games ,and video bingo, which can be accessed both by mobile and desktop. To launch the platform, Enjoy had a team of 15 people who speak at least three languages, based in Montevideo, Uruguay.
LotoMinas becomes the official igaming site of Minas Gerais
The official lottery of the second-largest Brazilian state of Minas Gerais, Loteria Mineira, confirmed the launch of its LotoMinas project, which could become the first state platform for online casino and sports betting in Brazil. The operator confirmed that it’s the “first platform officially licensed in Brazil” that features instant games, sports betting, and the traditional Keno Minas game. NeoGames, which signed a deal with LotoMina’s provider Intralot do Brasil, hopes to build on the existing success of Minas Gerais’ retail lottery and digital keno program.
Brazil picks up sports betting regulation debate
The Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva could sign the sports betting regulations in the upcoming weeks. The Presidency has already started discussions with Congress to decide which modalities will make the final cut. Delayed since 2018, the bill could finally have enough support from legislators. Despite the fact that it wasn’t approved in January or February, the process continued to gain strength in March and there is a strong possibility it will be official soon.
Enjoy and Dreams still focused on a merger
The National Economic Prosecutor’s Office (FNE) asked casino operators Enjoy and Dreams to report on a specific buyer for the Rinconada casino, in the event that they seek to continue advancing with the merger. This would turn the brands into a mega-operator with 58% of the Chilean market. Through Asset Chile, they presented a report that included companies potentially interested in acquiring the casino.
Coljuegos introduces RG policy
The Colombian regulator Coljuegos introduced a new initiative around responsible gambling, in order to support players and provide them tools to help them educate themselves and prevent excessive gambling. The authority has been working on a strategy for the past five years and highlighted that it includes the commitment from operators and that it will feature integrity measures and a space to interact with players.
