Brazil's SINAPO forum to harmonize state lotteries and betting
The Secretariat of Prizes and Bets (SPA) published Ordinance 227/2026, which establishes the National Betting System. The objective is to coordinate oversight and avoid regulatory asymmetries between the Union and the states. Dudena leaves the position to assume the Secretariat of Economic Reforms.
In what constitutes his last major administrative measure at the head of the Secretariat of Prizes and Bets (SPA/MF), Regis Dudena has signed the creation of the Forum for the National Systematization of Betting (SINAPO). The initiative, formalized this Thursday, January 29, through the publication of Ordinance SPA/MF No. 227 in the Official Gazette of the Union, seeks to resolve one of the most complex challenges of the Brazilian market: the coexistence between federal regulation and the multiple state jurisdictions.
SINAPO is born with the mission to articulate, integrate, and promote dialogue between the Union, the States, and the Federal District. This measure is a direct response to the market fragmentation derived from the Supreme Federal Court (STF) ruling in ADPF 492, which in 2020 ended the Union’s monopoly over lotteries and allowed each state to launch its own products. Since then, the disparity of technical and fiscal criteria threatened to create a scenario of legal uncertainty.
Objectives and operation: How will SINAPO work?
According to the text of the regulation, the forum will operate under the coordination of the SPA and will have a consultative, non-decisive character. Its main action axes will be:
- Data integration: Promote the exchange of strategic information to combat fraud and money laundering.
- Regulatory harmonization: Establish a standard of "boas práticas" (best practices) to avoid a predatory fiscal war among the states.
- Player protection: Unify criteria on responsible gaming and consumer protection.
State participation will be voluntary through the signing of a "Term of Adhesion." The SPA has a period of 45 days to make this document available. The forum will meet ordinarily four times a year and may create thematic debate tables lasting three months to address specific issues.
Dudena’s legacy and new destination
The publication of this ordinance coincides with the reassignment of Regis Dudena, who was a key figure in the implementation of Law 14.790/23 during the tumultuous regulation process of 2024 and 2025.
Dudena leaves the headship of the SPA to assume the position of Secretary of Economic Reforms of the Ministry of Finance, a strategic post within the government’s economic team. His management at the SPA was characterized by technical rigor in the federal licensing process, which culminated in nearly one hundred authorized operators and the implementation of financial blocking systems for the illegal market. With SINAPO, he leaves established the institutional infrastructure so that his successor can manage the political relationship with governors and local lotteries.
Tags: Brasil, Brazil lottery regulation, SINAPO, Brazil lotteries