Brazil Establishes Dedicated Federal Police Division to Probe Illegal Betting After Fixed-Odds Prohibition

Brazil has created a specialized division in its Federal Police to investigate illegal betting and sports result manipulation after a nationwide ban on fixed-odds betting expanded the scope of prohibited activities.

The Division for the Repression of Illegal Betting and Sports Manipulation (DRAME) operates under the General Coordination for the Repression of Money Laundering and Asset Recovery (CGLA), which falls within the Directorate for Investigation and Combating Organized Crime and Corruption (DICOR). A Betting Analysis Service (SEAAP) will provide support. This follows Provisional Measure No. 1.394/2026, issued on September 25, which prohibits fixed-odds betting and brings previously authorized sports betting and online gaming operations under the illegal category. Unauthorized operators had accounted for more than 40% of the market despite 22 months of regulation, as reported by Yogonet International.

Framework of the New Unit

The Federal Police restructuring was formalized by Ministry of Justice and Public Security Ordinance No. 1.325, dated October 9 and published in the Official Gazette on October 13. Minister Wellington César Lima e Silva signed the measure, marking the first inclusion of a betting-specific unit in the Federal Police organizational structure. The approved setup merges illegal betting and sports manipulation functions, differing from the proposal submitted by Federal Police Director-General Andrei Rodrigues for separate divisions. Lima e Silva’s ordinance also grants money laundering enforcement its own general coordination while elevating asset recovery to coordination level. Federal Police leadership stated the changes were intended to strengthen financial investigations into organized crime. No new civil service positions or recruitment are involved. The DRAME and SEAAP leadership functions are classified as FCE 1.07 and FCE 1.05, respectively, and reserved for permanent civil servants.

What the Restructuring Signals

These steps implement Decree No. 13.131 of September 30, which reassigned 46 positions and functions from the Ministry of Management to the Ministry of Justice and Public Security. The Federal Police had previously handled such matters through its Betting Base under DICOR/PF Ordinance No. 92. The reorganization further creates a Department of Inspection and Prevention of Consumer Harm and a General Coordination for Monitoring and Inspection in related secretariats. With the ban now widening the illegal betting definition, the dedicated unit integrates enforcement more closely with organized crime and financial probes. Authorities have prioritized structural alignment over headcount growth, directing focus toward detection and prosecution in an expanded regulatory environment.

Reporting: Yogonet International

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