Changes are widely anticipated across the Brazilian gambling sector, specifically within the leadership ranks of the Secretariat for Prizes and Betting (SPA).
As the Senate and Chamber of Deputies return from summer recess on 2 February, Brazilian media report a forthcoming reshuffle across key administrative positions within the Ministry of Finance.
According to Valor Econômico, SPA President Regis Dudena has accepted a new position as Secretary of Economic Reforms (SRE). The appointment will see Dudena change departments within the Ministry of Finance (MEF).
Dudena is understood to have been confirmed for the role following internal meetings with senior SRE officials, prevailing over Alexandre Ferreira, the current programme director of the secretariat, who had been backed by former SRE head Marcos Pinto and Finance Minister Fernando Haddad.
Though yet to be confirmed by the MEF, Dudena’s departure would mark a formative chapter for the SPA and its governance of the Bets market. Dudena is credited as the SPA’s first president, overseeing the initial licensing phase, market launch and early enforcement of new compliance obligations.
Dudena departs having achieved a principal objective: the launch of a federal self-exclusion scheme for Brazil’s online gambling market, imposed as a condition on all licensed operators. The scheme is linked to the Brazilian Unified Health System (SUS) to provide support for gambling addiction.
Attention has now turned to potential successors. According to BNLData, leading internal candidates include Daniele Cardoso, the SPA’s deputy secretary, and Fabio Macorin, subsecretary for Monitoring and Enforcement — both of whom have played central roles in building the regulator’s operational capacity.
If confirmed, Dudena’s exit would represent the second senior change at the SPA this year, following the departure of special adviser Marcelo Damato in mid-January, signalling a broader post-regulation transition phase within Brazil’s gambling oversight structure.
Last week, the Federal Revenue Bureau (FRB) published its gambling tax accounts, reporting new tax intakes rising from R$91m (€16.7m) in 2024 to R$9.9bn (c.€1.82bn) last year, including R$2.5bn (c.€460m) generated from licensing authorisation fees and R$95.5m (c.€17.6m) from inspection charges.
In 2026, the regulatory agenda for the Bets market remains unsettled, as Congress and the Senate review further tax measures on gambling, specific advertising and marketing rules, and new market protections against unlicensed gambling websites.
In the backdrop, Congress and the Senate are preparing for Brazil’s next general election, with party primaries scheduled for October. Last week, President Lula blamed the current liabilities of the Bets market on the former Liberal Party government of Jair Bolsonaro, accusing it of “bringing online casinos into Brazilian households”.
