Brazil Signs Macolin Convention as First Country in the Americas to Combat Sports Match-Fixing

Brazil signed the Macolin Convention at a ceremony held at the Council of Europe headquarters in France. Brazilian ambassador to France Ricardo Neiva Tavares executed the signing on behalf of the government, under the oversight of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and with participation from the Ministries of Sport, Finance and Justice.

The treaty, opened for signature in 2014 in Macolin, Switzerland, entered into force in September 2019. By September 2026 it had 43 signatories, 17 of which had completed ratification. Brazil is the first country in the Americas to sign, joining Australia and Morocco among non-European participants. The Convention sets standards for cooperation among governments, sports bodies, competition organizers and betting operators to detect and deter manipulation of results.

Brazil's Existing Framework and Quoted Priorities

Giovanni Rocco, Brazil’s National Secretary of Sports Betting, stated: “Brazil is taking an important step in protecting the integrity of sports. We have already made progress with the creation of the National Policy for the Prevention and Combat of Match-Fixing in Sports. Now, with the signing of the Macolin Convention, we are expanding the possibilities for international cooperation. This work strengthens the fight against fraud and helps protect athletes, clubs and fans.”

The Ministry of Sport has tracked the accession process since 2025, when the National Secretariat for Sports Betting issued a technical statement supporting participation. In September of that year, the Brazilian government formally announced its intention to join the treaty after a joint ministerial review. That effort produced the National Policy for the Prevention and Confrontation of Manipulation of Sports Results (PNPEMR), established in March 2026 and coordinated by the Ministry of Sport together with the Ministries of Finance and Justice plus the Federal Police. The policy supplies guidelines on regulation, prevention, monitoring, inspection and repression of sports fraud.

Path to Ratification and Practical Requirements

Signing marks only the initial commitment. The Convention text must still reach the National Congress for review and approval, after which Brazil will complete its internal ratification procedures to become a full State Party. Until then the country cannot activate the treaty’s full mechanisms, which include information exchange across borders, joint authority actions, tracking of suspicious betting patterns and the establishment of a national platform to centralize data and flag irregularities.

As reported by iGaming Business, these steps address transnational match-fixing networks that threaten the credibility of competitions. The limitation is clear: signature without ratification delivers no operational enforcement powers. Operators and sports organizations should track the congressional timeline, because successful ratification will likely impose new reporting obligations and tighter coordination requirements inside Brazil’s regulated betting market. The process bears watching for its effect on both integrity standards and compliance costs.