The FBF proposes regulating betting to fund football
The argument from the president of the Bolivian Football Federation (FBF) is purely financial. Fernando Costa maintains that the sector has become the main economic support for football worldwide and that its volume surpasses what television rights generate, something that has already occurred in some countries. His conclusion is that Bolivia should sit down to discuss the issue.
The concrete opportunity lies in a reform that, as he mentioned, is already being prepared. Costa said he had spoken with political actors from the current administration who informed him of a plan to modify Law 060, which governs lotteries and gambling. In his view, these modifications would allow the gambling system to enter the country, including sports betting, because a lot of money is currently being lost due to taxation.
The starting point is a void. Under Law 060, there are no legally registered companies in Bolivia. The Gaming Regulatory Authority (AJ) admits that everything is channeled through platforms whose servers are located abroad, a situation that leaves users without recourse in the event of a scam. The same body has been warning that there is no authorized online betting site and has taken clandestine operators to court.
The federation had already tested the waters. Two years ago, the clubs of the Professional Division asked the FBF to investigate, observing what was happening in the Copa Libertadores and the Copa Sudamericana, under what conditions a sportsbook could place its logo on a jersey as part of a sponsorship contract. The AJ responded by reminding them that advertising betting is prohibited in Bolivian territory.
With his proposal, Costa reinstates this discussion, but from another angle: he is not asking for an advertising exception but for a framework. His idea is that a framework with clear rules and sufficient control would allow money to reach local football in an orderly manner, as happens in other neighboring countries.
Bolivia thus remains among the few South American countries without a regulatory regime for remote gambling, while its neighbors have moved in opposite directions: Peru and Colombia have consolidated licensed markets, Chile has been discussing a project for years that has not progressed, and Brazil has just closed its own by executive decision. The debate proposed by the FBF therefore comes at the most complex possible moment to argue in favor of opening up.
Tags: Bolivian Football Federation, Fernando Costa, Law 060, gambling regulation in Bolivia