The Loteria Mineira (LEMG) in the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais will be able to expand its product portfolio courtesy of a new decree published in the Official Gazette this month.
The measure – Decree No. 48,184 – is supported by Governor Romeu Zema and frees up the Loteria Mineira to operate new lottery options including passive games, numerical lottery, sports prediction lottery, instant lottery and fixed-odds betting lottery (sports betting).
As reported by the local news outlet BNL Data, the regulatory update modernizes LEMG’s offering in accordance with the provisions included in Law No. 13,758 of December 12, 2018, which allows the possibility of exploiting all lottery modalities.
This includes betting, electronic gaming through physical and digital operations, online gambling and “online-real time” gaming.
The regulation also defines the “lottery game” as any operation, game or bet, as a “forecast contest”, which can lead to a prize in cash or goods.
With this decree, the Minas Gerais lottery becomes one of the first Brazilian organizations to address sports betting operations and exploit the benefits arising from the Supreme Court ruling, which prohibits a state-exclusive monopoly to offer and regulate the gaming and betting industries.
Currently, Intralot do Brasil Trade in Equipment and Computer Programs Ltda (Intralot), Thorsborg do Brasil Consultoria em Tecnología Ltda and International Gaming Technology Brasil Data Services (IGT) – Scientific Games Brasil Ltda are competing for the licenses that LEMG will grant to operate these games.
The bidders have been given 45 days to submit studies, surveys, research, data, technical information, projects and opinions as part of the decision making process to identify which operator will run the state lottery services.
