Loterj doubles down on fixed-odds tender in Rio

Rio de Janeiro, where Loterj hopes to launch its fixed-odds tender this year
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The Rio de Janeiro State Lottery (Loterj) is pressing ahead with plans to launch and complete its fixed-odds betting tender this year.

Confirming the decision at ICE London’s ‘VOX 2023 – World Regulatory Briefing’, President Hazenclever Lopes Cançado told the audience that in ‘approximately 120 days’ Loterj will launch its tender to find a fixed-odds wagering partner for “online and face-to-face betting”.

Outlined as a key objective, Loterj’s executive team is finalising its ‘Terms of Reference‘ – a document that will outline technical requirements to operate its sports betting franchise in Rio de Janeiro.

Loterj expects to publish the Terms of Reference by the end of this month, which will establish the first criteria to compete in the tender process.

“We have not yet defined the values ​​of the fixed concession, but the parameters are from R$4-8m (£638,800-1.27m) for a licence for a period of five years, for online and face-to-face fixed quota betting operations,” Lopes Cançado informed ICE London. 

The integration with the instant payment system of PIX Cobranca was mentioned as the only technical requirement disclosed by Lopes Cançado. 

The chosen partner will ‘work in parallel’ with Brazil telecoms company Anatel and Banco Central do Brasil (BCB) to ensure that sports betting on Loterj’s platform is limited to state boundaries.

Technical compliance was underscored as the critical criteria to operate Loterj’s sports betting franchise, which must only take bets from ‘state taxed’ residents, referencing BNL data.

Cançado concluded: “This will be a challenge for the state lotteries. There will be an imposition so that, in the accreditation, the operator can demonstrate that he has control over the fact that sales are restricted to the limits of the state, as provided for in federal legislation.”