Brazil: Rio de Janeiro State Lottery awards second sports betting license to Pixbet

Through a resolution issued last week by the Rio de Janeiro State Lottery (Loterj), Pixbet is the second company to be awarded a license to offer sports betting in the region.

The Loterj's Permanent Bidding Commission informed that, after the appointment of Rede Loto as the first company authorized to offer bets in Rio de Janeiro, through Loto Carioca, Pixbet would join in the state while new bidding companies are still being analyzed by the state authorities.

"Recognized for supporting more than 15 brands and clubs in the country, such as Flamengo, Pixbet has shown interest in regulating sports betting in the state of Rio de Janeiro, through the Public Notice of Accreditation Loterj, in force since the end of April," the government agency said in a press release.

The regulated sports betting market in Rio de Janeiro, which in turn became the first and so far the only one in Brazil, came into force at the end of May, when the State Lottery selected Rede Loto as the first licensed operator for this segment, with a five-year permit with the possibility of extension.

To launch operations, Rede Loto contributed BRL 5 million (around $1 million) after proving compliance with technical and legal requirements, such as the implementation of responsible gaming and anti-money laundering policies, prevention of terrorism financing, and social responsibility.

On Loterj's official website, companies can already register to be analyzed and authorized, and for the moment no license limits have been set, so it is expected that several companies will have access to the permit in the next months.

Meanwhile, the national sports betting market continues to be delayed due to the lack of regulation and subsequent enactment by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Although the Ministry of Finance, in collaboration with other agencies, has prepared a regulatory proposal that would already have the President's approval, the project has been delayed in the Civil House since the sports fixing scandal related to the betting industry emerged.

The Chamber of Deputies created the Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry (CPI), which is responsible for the analysis throughout Brazil of the matches of the A and B Series of national soccer. As long as the CPI is operational and the results of the investigation have not been obtained, the government has decided not to move forward with the regulation of sports betting, which for now is expected to be defined by the end of the year.