On October 30, Brazil signed the Council of Europe Convention on the Manipulation of Sports Competitions, known as the Macolin Convention. Ricardo Neiva Tavares, Brazil's ambassador to France and Monaco, signed the document at the Council of Europe headquarters in Strasbourg. Brazil became the first country in the Americas to sign the Convention.
It is the 44th state to sign the treaty. It is the third non-Council of Europe country to do so, after Australia and Morocco. The Convention has been ratified by 17 countries, including nine EU members.
The treaty provides for information exchange between countries, cooperation among competent authorities and monitoring of suspicious movements linked to sports betting. Each state sets up a national platform that centralizes information and helps detect possible violations. Participants include governments, sports organizations, competition organizers and betting operators.
Signing does not make Brazil a party to the treaty. The Convention text will be sent to the National Congress for analysis and approval. Only after ratification will the country become a full participant.
The path to signing took more than a year. In September 2025, the Brazilian government formally notified the Council of Europe of its intention to join the Convention. In March 2026, a National Policy on Preventing and Combating Manipulation of Sports Results was introduced, coordinated by the Ministry of Sport.
For the market, this means the following. Brazil has the third-largest betting market in the world. Until ratification, the treaty does not directly change conditions for operators. When Congress considers the text, the national platform and data exchange on suspicious bets are what will affect bookmakers and competition organizers.
