Brazil creates federal police unit DRAME to hunt illegal bets

The unit folds illegal betting & match-fixing probes into one division, instead of the split the police chief proposed.

The hit

Brazil has created a Federal Police division dedicated to illegal betting & sports-result manipulation, according to Yogonet. The Division for the Repression of Illegal Betting & Sports Manipulation (DRAME) follows a nationwide ban on fixed-odds betting, with a Betting Analysis Service (SEAAP) supporting it.

Why it matters

The ban now also affects previously authorised sports betting & online gaming operations, expanding the scope of illegal gambling, according to Yogonet. Before the ban, unauthorised operators already made up more than 40% of the market despite 22 months of regulation. DRAME marks the first time a betting-specific unit has featured in the Federal Police’s organisational structure. No new civil service positions or recruitment processes are involved; the restructuring reassigns 46 existing positions & functions from the Ministry of Management.

The record

Ban imposed	Provisional Measure No. 1.394/2026, issued 25 September
Unit formalised	Ministry of Justice & Public Security Ordinance No. 1.325, dated 9 October, published 13 October
Signed by	Minister Wellington César Lima e Silva
Structural change	Decree No. 13.131 of 30 September reassigned 46 positions & functions from the Ministry of Management to the Ministry of Justice & Public Security

What happens next

Watch whether match-fixing cases rise under the combined division Director-General Andrei Rodrigues had wanted split in two.

Sources: Brazil creates federal police betting enforcement unit amid nationwide ban

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