New Brazilian Sports Integrity Body Formed to Safeguard Sports Integrity
ABRADIE formed to safeguard integrity of Brazilian sports betting industry amidst recent match-fixing scandals.
A non-profit association has been formed to safeguard the integrity of sports in Brazil, in the wake of recent match-fixing scandals in the country. The Associação Brasileira de Defesa da Integridade do Esporte (ABRADIE) is formed by a consortium of sports betting organizations, including Entain and Genius Sports, as well as law firms Bichara e Motta and Maia Yoshiyasu Advogados. The body will collaborate with regulators, law enforcement agencies, and other stakeholders to prevent fraud and other illegal activities associated with sports betting. ABRADIE will focus on identifying and analyzing suspicious betting patterns in Brazilian sports, organizing consultations and events to improve communication and collaboration among stakeholders, and presenting a report to the government with recommendations to uphold integrity in sports and betting.
Martin Lycka, senior vice president of American regulatory affairs and responsible gambling at Entain, emphasized the importance of the new association in the context of previous business announcements. Lycka expressed his pleasure in seeing the industry coming together to support the integrity of Brazilian sports and prevent match-fixing, highlighting that safeguarding the integrity of sports is paramount for the sports betting industry.
Brazil's sports betting regulation process is ongoing, and the formation of ABRADIE follows a national conversation regarding the country's betting laws. Legalizing sports betting in 2018, Brazil has yet to fully regulate the activity. Recent match-fixing scandals have ignited new hopes that a legal path could be around the corner. "Without regulation, and with such a huge amount of betting operations from offshore, the Brazilian leagues are an easy prey for fraudsters," said Luiz Felipe Maia from the Maia Yoshiyasu firm, adding that it was only a matter of time until the scandals created the need for regulation. The establishment of ABRADIE is an essential step in supporting industry best practices and protecting sports from the threats of betting-related corruption.