Brazilian Gambling Trade Body Withdraws Lawsuit Against Retail Sector
The National Association of Games and Lotteries (ANJL), a gambling trade association in Brazil, has withdrawn its lawsuit against the Brazilian Association of Supermarkets (ABRAS) following a video published on social media criticizing the betting sector.
In June, ANJL accused ABRAS of misleading the public in a video posted on the supermarket association’s social media, titled “History of Betting.”
In the video, ABRAS claimed that regulated betting is linked to worsening food insecurity in Brazil, stating that “every real spent on betting leads to one less plate on the table.”
ANJL dropped its lawsuit against the supermarket association after educating the entity about the strict regulations of legal betting. The body said that “the criticism went beyond specific agents, affecting the entire sector.”
ANJL’s legal action in Brazil was abandoned after a meeting with retail entities on Thursday, July 10, in São Paulo, where the parties discussed how to promote an understanding of the regulated betting sector in Brazil.
“We demonstrated to ABRAS and the Institute for Retail Development (IDV), who also participated in the meeting, that the focus of everyone should be on illegal gambling,” said ANJL President Plínio Lemos Jorge.
“Operators who are not authorized to operate in Brazil do not care about the integrity of bets or the protection of bettors.”
Dialogue Between ANJL and Retail Sector to Continue
The meeting marked the opening of a dialogue between the betting and retail sectors, with the presence of the executive director of the Brazilian Institute of Responsible Gaming (IBJR), Fernando Vieira. The IBJR acts as a second trade entity covering the online gambling sector.
According to ANJL, the goal for future discussions is to jointly advance on issues of shared interest, especially regarding the financial health of Brazilian consumers, using the learnings from last week’s meeting.
“We reached this understanding and will deepen these discussions in future meetings,” added Lemos Jorge.
However, the two sides failed to reach an agreement on the controversial topic of betting advertising in Brazil.
In May, the Senate approved a series of new advertising restrictions, including bans on marketing during live sporting events and the use of celebrities, in addition to regulatory frameworks.
The retail sector has an interest in restricting betting advertising, while the gambling sector warns that more restrictions will only boost the black market.
At the meeting, IBJR President Fernando Vieira highlighted that about 80% of bettors cannot distinguish a licensed operator from an illegal one, and that advertising will bring a solution to this problem.
ANJL and IBJR Join Forces
Last week, ANJL officially formalized its cooperation agreement with IBJR amid the threat of new advertising restrictions and an increase in the tax rate.
This measure, carried out in coordination with the Secretariat of Prizes and Bets, unites the two largest gambling trade associations in the country.
The two organizations are aligned in their main goal of protecting the sustainability of Brazil’s regulated betting market.
Fernando stated: “The consolidation of this partnership represents a concrete response to the challenges that threaten the regulated environment in Brazil.”
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