Carlos Lima has just been appointed executive president of the Brazilian Institute for Responsible Gaming (IBJR), stepping into the role at a crucial turning point for Brazil’s regulated fixed-odds betting and online gaming sector. The timing matters. The market is maturing, and operators are working hard to lock in their position against illegal competitors who refuse to play by any rules.

A Government Relations Veteran Steps Up

Lima knows this world. His background spans government relations, advocacy, and public policy development, with a real focus on building bridges between the public and private sectors when regulatory matters get complicated. He’s spent his career crafting transparent, sustainable operating frameworks across industries that actually matter to the economy.

His job is straightforward enough on paper: strengthen the conversation between IBJR and federal authorities, Congress, regulators, and civil society. Create space where licensed operators can grow while squeezing the illegal platforms. A more cohesive, well-governed regulated market does exactly that.

Regulation as a Consumer Safety Tool

When Lima first spoke publicly, he reframed the whole thing. Regulation, he said, isn’t about holding the industry back. It’s about protecting people. Brazil’s regulated framework lays down clear rules, consumer safeguards, and compliance obligations. The illegal market offers none of that.

This distinction cuts deep. It’s about defending bettors and keeping tax revenue and jobs in the legal ecosystem where they belong.

“The maturation of the betting market requires actions guided by data, transparency, governance and legal certainty,” Lima said. He’s positioning IBJR’s work within something bigger: economic and social development.

Continuity and Institutional Memory

Andre Gelfi, IBJR co-founder and one of the architects behind Brazil’s entire regulatory framework, stays on as a board member and director. That’s deliberate. It signals that the strategic vision which shaped this market consolidation phase isn’t going anywhere.

IBJR’s membership reads like a who’s who of the betting world. Bet365, Betsson Group, Flutter, Entain, and Kaizen Gaming sit alongside local and regional operators. This coalition puts real weight behind the institute’s policy influence while keeping the trust of government stakeholders focused on consumer protection and financial integrity.

Two Pillars, One Mission

The institute’s real work breaks down into two things: stamping out illegal gambling and promoting responsible play. For Lima, these aren’t separate projects. They’re two parts of the same strategy. A well-regulated, professionally run market serves the public interest better than the fragmented, unaccountable mess you get without rules.

What the team thinks

Carl Mitchell says:

Carlos Lima’s appointment is exactly the kind of move Brazil’s regulated market needs right now, though I’d be curious to see how aggressively the IBJR will tackle the real elephant in the room, which isn’t just illegal competition but the structural issues that make unlicensed operators attractive to punters in the first place. Ashworth’s piece touches on market maturity, but what players like me have learned covering the UK scene is that regulatory bodies with teeth, combined with genuinely competitive operator margins and transparent responsible gaming enforcement, are what actually shift market share from the black market. If Lima’s brief includes pushing for that kind of operator accountability alongside consumer protections, Brazil could leapfrog some of the early mistakes other regulated markets made.