Compliance Updates
Lifetime Ban And $200,000 Fine For Joao Olavo Soares De Souza After Conviction On Match-fixing Charges
31-year old Brazilian currently ranked 742 in ATP singles has been Provisionally Suspended from professional tennis since March 2019
Brazilian tennis player Joao Olavo Soares de Souza has received a lifetime ban together with a fine of $200,000 after being convicted of multiple match-fixing and associated corruption offences.
A Tennis Integrity Unit (TIU) investigation established that between 2015 and 2019 the player committed numerous breaches of the Tennis Anti-Corruption Program (TACP). These included repeated incidents of match-fixing at ATP Challenger and ITF Futures tournaments held in Brazil, Mexico, the United States and Czech Republic.
In addition to match-fixing offences, the player was also found to have:
- failed to report corrupt approaches
- failed to fully co-operate with the TIU, including destroying evidence
- solicited other players to not use best efforts
The case against Mr Souza was considered by independent Anti-Corruption Hearing Officer Prof Richard H. McLaren at a disciplinary Hearing held in London on 14 January 2020.
Prof McLaren’s decision to impose a lifetime ban means that with effect from 24 January 2020 the player is permanently ineligible to compete in or attend any sanctioned event organised or recognised by the governing bodies of the sport.
In March 2019, and prior to being charged with corruption offences, Mr Souza had been Provisionally Suspended from professional tennis, pending completion of the TIU investigation and case against him.
The 31-year old is currently ranked 742 in ATP singles, with a career-high of 69 reached in April 2015. As a doubles player his highest ranking was 70, achieved in January 2013.
The breaches of the TACP he has been found guilty of are as follows:
Section D.1.d. No Covered Person shall, directly or indirectly, contrive or attempt to contrive the outcome or any other aspect of any Event.
Section D.1.e. No Covered Person shall, directly or indirectly, solicit or facilitate any Player to not use his or her best efforts in any Event.
Section D.1.f. No Covered Person shall, directly or indirectly, solicit or accept any money, benefit or Consideration with the intention of negatively influencing a Player’s best efforts in any Event.
Section D.2.a.i. In the event any Player is approached by any person who offers or provides any type of money, benefit or Consideration to a Player to (i) influence the outcome or any other aspect of any Event, or (ii) provide Inside Information, it shall be the Player’s obligation to report such incident to the TIU as soon as possible.
Section F.2.b. All Covered Persons must co-operate fully with investigations conducted by the TIU including giving evidence at hearings, if requested. No Covered Person shall (i)tamper with, damage, disable, destroy or otherwise alter any evidence or other information related to any Corruption Offense or (ii) solicit or facilitate any other person to tamper with, damage, disable, destroy or otherwise alter any evidence or other information related to any Corruption Offense.
The Tennis Integrity Unit is an initiative of the ATP, WTA, ITF and Grand Slam Board, who are jointly committed to a zero tolerance approach to betting-related corruption in professional tennis.
Source: tennisintegrityunit.com
Brazilian License
Groove Secures Pivotal Brazilian License, Cementing LATAM Expansion
Platform pioneer unlocks one of the world’s most dynamic iGaming markets, offering operators and providers a seamless, compliant gateway to millions of new players.
Groove, the award-winning iGaming aggregation platform, has today announced a monumental leap in its global expansion strategy with the official granting of its license to operate in Brazil.
This landmark regulatory approval marks a decisive moment in Groove’s strategic blueprint for Latin America, a vision further reinforced by the significant strengthening of its established and fully regulated infrastructure in Argentina. Together, these developments create an unrivalled dual-hub strategy, positioning Groove as the definitive gateway to the continent.
This hard-won license provides a fully compliant and powerful conduit for Groove’s partners to engage a market on the cusp of historic growth. For operators, it translates to a frictionless, single-integration pathway for capturing market share in this coveted region. They can now leverage Groove’s robust platform to deploy a fully localised and compliant casino offering at unparalleled speed, complete with curated game portfolios tailored to local preferences, integrated local payment processing, and bespoke marketing tools designed to captivate Latin American players. This eliminates years of complex regulatory legwork, allowing partners to go to market in a matter of weeks, not years.
For game studios and content providers, the Brazilian license acts as a direct and streamlined conduit to a vast new audience. Groove offers a managed route to market, taking on the heavy burden of complex regulatory technical standards and certification processes. This allows creators to focus on their core mission of developing world-class entertainment, secure in the knowledge that their content will be efficiently placed in front of a massive, engaged audience through a trusted and fully compliant pipeline.
Rachel Tourgeman, Head of Partnerships at Groove, emphasised the transformative nature of this development. “The green light in Brazil is more than a license; it’s a key that unlocks a kingdom of opportunity for our partners. We’ve built a platform capable of not just entering, but driving in regulated markets.”
Tourgeman put the new license in perspective, saying: “Operators can now immediately tap into Brazil’s immense potential, while providers gain a trusted pipeline to a passionate new player base. This is a definitive moment that accelerates the entire LATAM iGaming ecosystem.”
This strategic expansion is a direct reflection of Groove’s commitment to being the most reliable and agile aggregation partner in the world’s most promising emerging markets. With over 20,000 games available and a raft of over 150 games partners, Groove brings unrivalled choice to the Brazilian market.
Yahale Meltzer, Co-Founder and CEO of Groove, commented, “Our vision has always been to build the bridges that connect great content with passionate players, wherever they are. Securing our Brazilian license and reinforcing our Argentine operations is a testament to our team’s relentless execution and our long-term commitment to LATAM.”
Meltzer concluded: “We are not just following trends; we are actively architecting the future of iGaming in the region, providing a secure, scalable, and sophisticated platform for our partners to grow with us. The door to Latin America is now open, and Groove is the key.”
For further information visit the new web domain at www.groovetech.com
The post Groove Secures Pivotal Brazilian License, Cementing LATAM Expansion appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.
aggregation
Groove lands Brazil iGaming licence as it pushes LATAM expansion
Groove said it has been granted a licence to operate in Brazil, expanding its regulated footprint in Latin America and adding to its existing infrastructure in Argentina.
The company positions the Brazil approval as a route for operator and supplier partners to enter the market via a single integration, with localisation features including local payment processing and marketing tools. The release did not specify the issuing regulator, licence type, or an effective date.
Rachel Tourgeman, Head of Partnerships at Groove, said: “The green light in Brazil is more than a license; it’s a key that unlocks a kingdom of opportunity for our partners. We’ve built a platform capable of not just entering, but driving in regulated markets.” She added: “Operators can now immediately tap into Brazil’s immense potential, while providers gain a trusted pipeline to a passionate new player base. This is a definitive moment that accelerates the entire LATAM iGaming ecosystem.”
Yahale Meltzer, Co-Founder and CEO of Groove, said: “Our vision has always been to build the bridges that connect great content with passionate players, wherever they are. Securing our Brazilian license and reinforcing our Argentine operations is a testament to our team’s relentless execution and our long-term commitment to LATAM.” He added: “We are not just following trends; we are actively architecting the future of iGaming in the region, providing a secure, scalable, and sophisticated platform for our partners to grow with us. The door to Latin America is now open, and Groove is the key.”
Groove also said its platform offers access to “over 20,000 games” from “over 150 games partners” and noted it has launched a new web domain at www.groovetech.com.
The post Groove lands Brazil iGaming licence as it pushes LATAM expansion appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Commodity Futures Trading Commission
ProphetX Applauds CFTC’s Proposed Rulemaking on Prediction Markets
ProphetX, America’s first sports-native prediction market, applauded the Commodity Futures Trading Commission’s (CFTC) proposed rulemaking on event contracts, calling it a landmark step toward establishing clear, workable federal standards for the prediction market industry.
“ProphetX applauds CFTC Chairman Selig for his leadership in bringing regulatory certainty to America’s prediction market ecosystem. Today’s proposed rulemaking is a landmark first step toward establishing workable federal standards that encourage innovation and put consumer protection at the center of this emerging market,” said ProphetX Co-Founder and CEO Dean Sisun.
In April, ProphetX sent a letter to the CFTC in response to the Commission’s Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPR) on Prediction Markets. In the letter, ProphetX welcomed and supported the Commission’s efforts to establish a clear, durable federal regulatory framework for sports event contracts and the broader prediction markets industry. ProphetX urged the Commission to, for the first time, utilize its express statutory authority under Section 4(c) of the Commodity Exchange Act (CEA) to establish a conditions-based framework for the listing of sports event contracts, with Section 4(c) providing a durable and direct basis for federal preemption of conflicting state gaming laws.
In November 2025, ProphetX announced that it filed applications with the CFTC to register as a Designated Contract Market (DCM) and a Derivatives Clearing Organization (DCO). Upon approval, ProphetX would become the first regulated exchange and clearinghouse in the US built specifically for sports-based event contracts, which will serve as the foundation for an evolving event contracts platform.
The post ProphetX Applauds CFTC’s Proposed Rulemaking on Prediction Markets appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.
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