Pop And Drop

What is Pop And Drop?

“Are we remaining passive while society drowns in debt? Are we remaining passive while society is driven to madness – because this is an illness? People lose their minds; they contemplate suicide or abandoning their homes. So, we are going to take serious action.”

During the livestream, the president stated that he had spoken with a woman who said her 26-year-old son had taken his own life because of online betting. He also mentioned hearing from a bettor who had racked up BRL2 million ($388,410) in debt in just three months of wagering.

Lula said he intends to discuss the matter with his team and analyse potential measures to consider the social impact of online betting.

What is Pop And Drop?

Before joining the Ministry of Finance, Fabio Macorin served in Brazil’s Federal Police for 17 years. For a decade, he focused specifically on the investigation and prevention of banking and financial fraud. This experience helped shape his approach to betting regulation, particularly regarding anti-money laundering, financial monitoring, combatting the illegal market and inter-agency cooperation.

Brazil’s regulated betting market formally launched in 2025 and has since become one of the most closely watched regulatory initiatives in the global gaming and betting sector. Macorin, who also served as the SPA’s undersecretary for monitoring and enforcement, has been directly involved in initiatives to combat illegal operators, strengthen cooperation with financial institutions, telecommunications providers and other government authorities, as well as develop data-driven tools for regulatory oversight and enforcement.

Commenting on his election, Macorin expressed his honour at joining the IAGR board and contributing Brazil’s experience to the association’s international work.

About Pop And Drop

Spotlight said the decision to enter the gaming sphere comes as operators increasingly turn towards free-to-play games as a means of “engagement, retention, reactivation and acquisition”.

The games will include fantasy, predictor, survivor and bet builder mechanics, while racing titles will be powered by Spotlight’s Smart View Engine.

Spotlight’s B2B Growth Director Rob Brown said the deal will expand the company’s offering by combining Engage Games’ games engine with Spotlight’s data, content and global distribution network.