Brazil has signed the Council of Europe convention on manipulation of sporting competitions, becoming the first Latin American country to join the treaty. On Friday, 30 October, the country signed the Macolin Convention, the only legally binding international document dedicated to fighting the manipulation of sporting competitions. Brazil's ambassador to France and Monaco, Ricardo Neiva Tavares, signed the document at the Council of Europe's headquarters in Strasbourg.
It is the 44th state to sign the convention. It is the third non-member of the Council of Europe to do so, after Australia and Morocco.
Signing does not make a country a party. Brazil's status will appear after ratification, and the convention enters into force only after five states ratify it. So far, 17 countries have ratified the treaty, including nine EU members: Belgium, Estonia, France, Greece, Italy, Lithuania, Portugal, Spain and Sweden.
The treaty binds state bodies, sports organisations, competition organisers and bookmakers. It creates a platform for cooperation between government agencies, sports structures, betting operators and organisers, aimed at preventing, detecting and punishing manipulation of results.
The scale matters for betting. Brazil is the world's third-largest betting market. The Council of Europe stresses that manipulation, especially when linked to betting, requires action by states outside Europe. Malta, Europe's largest sports betting market, has neither signed nor ratified the convention.
Brazil prepared to join in advance. Its government formally notified the Council of Europe that it would enter the convention. That happened in September 2025, and the signing is the next step.
