Loterj President Hazenclever Lopes Cançado urges coordinated federal and state action while renewing calls to regulate casinos, bingos and expand legal gaming infrastructure
The President of Loterj, Hazenclever Lopes Cançado, has issued a strong call for the creation of a nationwide task force to confront organized crime and financial offenses linked to illegal betting operations across Brazil. Speaking during a recent recording of EsferaCast, Cançado warned that the scale and sophistication of unregulated gambling has reached a point where fragmented enforcement is no longer effective.
According to Cançado, thousands of illegal betting houses continue to operate throughout the country, often serving as gateways for broader criminal activity. He stressed that only a coordinated response involving both state governments and key federal institutions can disrupt these networks in a meaningful way. Among the bodies he identified as essential partners are the Federal Revenue Service, the Federal Police, Brazil’s Financial Activities Control Council (COAF) and the Central Bank.
“We need to unite the states and federal institutions to form a task force capable of dismantling illegal betting houses and cutting off the financial flows that sustain them,” Cançado said. He argued that unlicensed operators frequently intersect with militias, drug trafficking groups and money laundering schemes, making illegal gambling not just a regulatory issue, but a serious public security concern.
Drawing comparisons with joint enforcement initiatives in sectors such as fuel distribution and financial services, Cançado said similar cooperation in the gambling sector could significantly weaken criminal organizations that rely on illicit betting revenues. He emphasized that intelligence sharing and coordinated financial investigations would be central to the task force’s success.
Alongside enforcement, Cançado reiterated his long-standing support for bringing gambling activities currently operating in legal gray areas into a regulated framework. He advocated for the legalization and regulation of casinos, bingos and other forms of gambling, arguing that transparency is the most effective way to monitor financial flows and ensure compliance.
“We need to bring into the light games that continue to function in obscurity and clandestinity,” he said, noting that regulation would strengthen oversight and reduce opportunities for criminal exploitation.
Cançado also highlighted the importance of accelerating the rollout of videolottery terminals (VLTs) in Rio de Janeiro. He said expanding regulated gaming infrastructure could stimulate economic growth, support tourism and hospitality, and create opportunities for technology and service providers linked to the betting sector.
Recent Loterj initiatives have already directed lottery revenues toward education, childcare and community development programs. Cançado believes this model demonstrates how a regulated betting market can generate transparent social returns, reinforcing the case for broader reform at the national level.
