Brazil’s Constitution and Justice Committee (CCJ) of the Chamber of Deputies has approved a bill to increase penalties for match-fixing under the country’s General Sports Law, reflecting growing concerns over the integrity of sports in the country, particularly football.
Currently, those found guilty of match-fixing face prison terms of two to six years and fines. However, the new bill, initially authored by representative Bandeira de Mello and revised by representative Orlando Silva, seeks to escalate these penalties by up to 50% for referees, players, coaches, and sports officials involved in the manipulation of matches.
The bill also introduces a two to six-year prison sentence for individuals who recruit others, such as referees, athletes and coaches, to engage in match-fixing schemes.
“Unfortunately, match-fixing in sports is an old problem,” said Silva. “What we have to do, therefore, is propose changes, especially by imposing more severe sanctions than the current ones.”
The sports committee has already approved the bill, which will now be analyzed by the Chamber of Deputies’ plenary. The legislation must also pass through the Senate before it can become law.
Meanwhile, the Paraná State Lottery (Lottopar) has issued an ordinance banning athletes, coaches, referees, and sports officials from betting on competitions organized by Brazil’s National Sports System. With Brazil’s legal sports betting market set to launch in January 2025, Lottopar said it was following “best international practices” to curb match-fixing.
Concerns about match-fixing in Brazil have intensified as the country prepares to regulate sports betting. A parliamentary inquiry commission (CPI) on sports betting was recently formed after allegations surfaced from American businessman John Textor, owner of Botafogo de Futebol e Regatas. Textor accused São Paulo players of match-fixing in a game against Palmeiras and also claimed a referee had been bribed, sparking a political firestorm.
According to the International Betting Integrity Association’s (IBIA) 2023 report, Brazil ranked third globally in suspicious sports betting alerts, with 11 incidents reported, all related to football. However, efforts to address the issue seem to be gaining traction, with Sportradar reporting a 60% reduction in match-fixing cases in the first half of 2024 compared to the previous year.
Original article: https://www.yogonet.com/international/noticias/2024/08/20/75986-brazil-moves-to-strengthen-penalties-for-matchfixing-amid-rising-concerns
