Brazilian Integrity Association launched to protect the future of sports

Genius Sports, Entain, Rei Do Pitaco, Bichara e Motta and Maia Yoshiyasu Advogados (FYMSA) law firms today announced the formation of the “Associação Brasileira de Defesa da Integridade do Esporte” (“ABRADIE”) a non-profit organization that will address issues threatening the integrity of Brazilian sports.

Bringing together leading representatives from the betting industry, law enforcement, players, fans, sports governing bodies, teams and the legal profession, this association’s principal goal is to protect consumers, sports leagues and other stakeholders from possible fraud caused by the unfair manipulation of events on which betting is offered, including match-fixing and spot-fixing.

The association is a not-for-profit organization designed as a collaborative entity to partner with the regulator, federal, state law enforcement and other stakeholders to detect and discourage fraud and other illegal or unethical activity related to betting on sporting events.

The group of experts will conduct consultations and events in order to discuss a range of issues, including whether there is more that can be done to improve communication and collaboration between sports, betting operators, police and the regulator. These consultations will be designed to assess the current integrity measures that are in place regarding sports betting with a view to ensuring they are as robust as possible, as well as the education of players, match officials and anyone associated with sport. The key focus will be on how suspicious betting patterns are identified and evaluated across Brazilian sports.

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In addition, the Association will discuss the importance of introducing robust responsible gaming practices across the industry to better protect consumers. The experts will work on delivering an action plan that can be presented to the government for their consideration. The newly formed Association is expected to deliver a report with a clear set of recommendations to help uphold integrity in sports and associated betting, which will be presented to the government to consider the committee’s recommendations.

Chris Dougan, Chief Communications Officer at Genius Sports, the Premier League’s sports integrity partner and founding member of ABRADIE, said “We are excited to launch Brazil’s first Sports Integrity Association, to champion a safe and secure betting environment for consumers across the country. We look forward to working with regulators, members of law enforcement, operators, sports leagues and other key stakeholders to prevent fraud and protect the integrity of sports.”

Commenting on the launch of the Association, Martin Lycka, Senior Vice President of American Regulatory Affairs and Responsible Gambling at Entain stated: “As part of Entain’s ongoing commitment to only operate in well-regulated and governed markets, I’m pleased to see that the industry is coming together to support the integrity of Brazilian sports and prevent match fixing. This is one of the key underlying factors of any betting regulation, including the upcoming Brazilian one.”

Also reinforcing the importance of ABRADIE’s launching, Rafael Marchetti Marcondes, Chief Legal Officer of Rei do Pitaco, comments: “Rei do Pitaco supports initiatives that advocate for sports integrity, encourage responsible gaming practices and foster a sustainable growth of the sports betting market. Cases that could jeopardize the reputation of the sport, like match or spot-fixing or the participation of minors as bettors, must be monitored and punished, as all stakeholders in the betting market lose out to fraudulent and criminal attitudes. Cooperation among all involved entities, public or private, is mandatory to combat activities that harm the sport and its development.”

“Our firm is excited to launch this collaborative project with such essential player in the sports and betting industries. Our focus is to protect the integrity of sport in Brazil and to assist the Government, the Congress and sports entities to apply the best international practices to our upcoming Brazilian sports betting regulation” said Marcos Motta, founding partner at Bichara e Motta law firm.

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“The association is being created at a critical time, when the Brazilian market is growing rapidly and finalizing its regulation. Safeguarding the integrity of sports is paramount for the sports betting industry and the ABRADIE membership will demonstrate their commitment to industry best practices, supporting the Government, sports bodies and other stakeholders in protecting sports from the threats of betting related corruption. It is an honor for Maia Yoshiyasu Advogado to be a part of ABRADIE.” – added Luiz Felipe Maia