Brazil Expands Federal Police Focus on Illegal Betting and Match-Fixing

^{Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, President of Brazil / © Shutterstock}

Brazil plans to make the fight against illegal betting and match-fixing a permanent area of responsibility for the Federal Police, according to Folha de S.Paulo.

The restructuring of the Federal Police has been approved by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

The proposal is still undergoing formal review by Brazil’s Ministry of Management and Innovation.

As part of the reorganization, the Federal Police is expected to create:

• a unit focused on combating illegal betting;
• a unit dedicated to tackling the manipulation of sporting events;
• a financial intelligence and anti-money laundering unit;
• a dedicated division for investigating crimes involving cryptocurrencies and other virtual assets;
• a unit responsible for tracing and recovering criminal assets.

The initiative does not mean starting from scratch. Brazil’s Federal Police is already investigating cases involving illegal betting, fraud and match-fixing. In May 2026, a temporary task force was set up for a one-year period to handle such cases. The authorities now want to make this area of work a permanent part of the agency’s structure.

Brazil’s Federal Police also participates in an Interpol working group focused on combating match-fixing and exchanges intelligence and investigative methods with law enforcement agencies in other countries.

The planned expansion of the Federal Police comes after the Brazilian authorities moved to completely ban the operations of betting companies and online casinos. Lula signed the corresponding provisional measure on September 25.