The Ministry of the Economy of Brazil has announced the appointment of Sérgio Ricardo Calderini Rosa as new Secretary General of SECAP – the Ministry’s public policy agency charged with overseeing developments and evaluations for energy, agriculture and lotteries. 

The appointment follows the abrupt resignation of former incumbent Gustavo Guimarães, who on 19 January declared that he would no longer serve as SECAP secretary.

Fresh to SECAP ranks, Calderini Rosa has been transferred from the Ministry of Education, where he formally led the department’s policy for tech education and the administration of professional services.

The senior civil servant is expected to take charge of the policy agenda of predecessor Guimarães that included overseeing the policy development for Brazil long-awaited launch of its federal sports betting regime.

SECAP took charge of policy development of Brazil’s pending sports betting laws in 2019, a year following the Senate’s approval of former President Michel Temer’s Bill MP-849 – that allowed the government to overhaul Brazil’s lottery and wagering laws as a federal remit.

However, the development of Brazil’s sports betting framework has been a painstaking endeavour as lawmakers and stakeholders are conflicted on the tax make-up and licensing criteria of the regime.

Addressing last winter’s SBC Summit Latin America, predecessor Guimarães stated that SECAP had put forward proposals for Brazil to launch its  inaugural  sports betting regime ahead of  the FIFA Qatar World Cup in November 2022 – but as yet no formal plans have been published.

Calderini Rosa becomes the fourth Secretary to lead SECAP’s betting agenda since 2019. Of significance, to legislative developments, Brazil’s General Elections are scheduled to be held in Brazil on 2 October 2022 to elect the President and the make-up of the National Congress.