Rio de Janeiro governor Cláudio Castro dismissed Hazenclever Lopes Cançado as LOTERJ president and appointed vice-president Fabíola Esteves to the role on 20 March. Esteves said she would continue the authority’s work on regulation and combating illegal gambling; Cançado plans to focus on a pre-campaign for federal deputy.
The leadership change places a new president at the head of Rio de Janeiro’s state lottery and betting authority.
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LOTERJ president Fabíola Esteves called for bet.br to identify all legally authorised betting companies in Brazil, including those approved by state lotteries. Speaking at a panel on 2 June, she said a common approach to consumer communications could help distinguish regulated operators from illegal platforms.
Rio de Janeiro state lottery LOTERJ said regulation should support economic development, consumer protection and public policies, and called for coordinated action against illegal gambling. President Fabíola Esteves said enforcement requires cooperation among state and federal authorities, courts, police, financial institutions and digital platforms.
LOTERJ identified responsible gambling, consumer protection and action against illegal gambling as priorities for Rio de Janeiro’s gaming regulation, according to the regulator. It also cited audits, real-time monitoring, anti-money-laundering policies and data protection as areas for regulatory development, while its president called for cooperation among public institutions and other sectors to address illicit gambling.
Rio de Janeiro’s LOTERJ called for closer links between lottery regulation and public policy in a statement published on 25 May. Its president, Fabíola Esteves, said coordinated action by state and federal authorities and other institutions is needed to address illegal operations; LOTERJ also cited stronger regulatory monitoring, audits and responsible-gambling measures as priorities.
LOTERJ president Fabíola Esteves called for closer coordination among regulators and clearer public communication to address Brazil’s illegal gambling market at CGS Brasília on 5 May. She cited a 2025 Instituto Locomotiva survey finding that 78% of Brazilian bettors struggle to distinguish legal platforms from irregular ones.