End of online gambling in Brazil? ‘drastic ban’
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6 Nov 2024 •
Reading time: 3 minutes A new proposal is on the table in Brazil: a ban on online sports betting. Senator Sérgio Petecão, who introduced the proposal, is concerned about the impact of gambling on people’s mental health and their wallets. Brazilian politics is in turmoil. There are more and more stories about people who are deeply in debt because of online gambling. The aim of the law? To prevent online gambling from becoming a habit that people find difficult to break.
Concerns about mental health and money problems
In Brazil, it is worrying how far some gamblers will go to keep playing. A controversial study has shown that some gamblers even use money that should have been used for food and medicine. This is not a small study; although only 1,337 people were interviewed, the study received a lot of media attention and caused a lot of discussion in the country. People are increasingly asking how far we are willing to go to allow gambling.
President Lula still silent on bill
The Brazilian government is preparing for the opening of a regulated gambling market, which is due to come into effect on 1 January 2025. Work is already underway on the licenses for gambling companies, but it is not yet certain whether they will actually be issued. President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has not yet officially responded to Senator Petecão’s bill, but many expect him to give his opinion soon. Lula will probably also explain what the government plans to do to nip problematic gambling behaviour in the bud, now that the gambling market is about to open.
Petecão’s proposal does want to allow physical gambling locations, because according to him they pose less risk of addiction than online platforms. “You don’t just drop by a gambling shop from your armchair,” said the senator.
Strict approach to illegal gambling sites
The Secretariat of Prizes and Betting (SPA) is also not sitting still. In recent times, they have already blocked more than 2,000 unlicensed gambling sites. The SPA has also taken measures to better protect players once the regulated market opens. One of the new rules, for example, is that gambling companies are not allowed to advertise without permission. The SPA wants to ensure that gambling companies adhere to strict rules and do not simply persuade people to gamble.
Postponed vote on casinos and other gambling initiatives
The gambling debate in Brazil is not limited to online betting. A vote was also planned this month on land-based casinos and the popular gambling game joho de bitcho, but that has been postponed again. Senator Irajá Silvestre, who is supervising the bill, indicated that there are still some doubts within politics. “We want to calm things down first,” he said last week. Nevertheless, Silvestre is optimistic. He is convinced that the bill will be approved this year. According to him, the necessary votes have been received; it is now a matter of time.
Silvestre: “We have already convinced most senators. It is now mainly a matter of the right timing.”