Cardoso will lead the SPA’s fight against the illegal market, while also addressing the controversial entrance of prediction markets into Brazil.
Daniele Cardoso was this week named the new permanent leader of the Secretariat of Prizes and Bets (SPA), the regulator of betting in Brazil, after two months in the interim position.
Cardoso’s permanent appointment was announced in a Monday post on X by Dario Durigan, who last week succeeded Fernando Haddad as Brazil’s minister of finance.
She joined the SPA in November 2024, first as its general coordinator of monitoring of responsible gambling before becoming deputy secretary. Then, in late January, she was made the SPA’s interim chief, following the departure of Regis Dudena.
Dudena, who had been the SPA leader since February 2024, left the position to take over the leadership of the Secretariat of Economic Reforms.
Like Dudena, Cardoso comes from a legal background, with a law degree from Feira de Santana University.
Following Dudena’s exit, sources told iGB the choice for his permanent replacement was expected to be either Cardoso or the SPA’s Undersecretary of Monitoring and Inspection, Fabio Macorin.
However, it was Cardoso who signed the SPA’s 2026/27 regulatory agenda, which the body launched in February.
Conducting the work within its agenda will likely be Cardoso’s priority in her new permanent role, with the SPA set to focus on refining Brazil’s licensing process and supporting the fight against the still-prevalent black market.
A fresh issue to tackle is the recent entrance of predictions market operator Kalshi into the Brazil market, with the SPA recently expressing concerns over the presence of prediction markets.
After Kalshi announced its launch in Brazil, its first non-US market, the SPA clarified there were no Brazilian companies authorised to offer prediction markets in the country.
“The prediction market is part of the Secretariat’s internal analysis agenda, with preliminary studies under way,” the SPA said.
It is currently unclear whether prediction markets will fall under the jurisdiction of the SPA or the Brazilian Securities and Exchange Commission.
There is also another threat in the form of mounting political pressure, with continued attempts to restrict the licensed fixed-odds betting sector.
Earlier this month, Senator Eduardo Girão presented a bill seeking to restrict customer retention by banning certain mechanisms such as loyalty programmes and cashback.
Kyle Goldsmith
Kyle has been with Clarion since December 2023, joining from the world of sports journalism, subsequently becoming a LatAm-facing senior reporter with iGB.
