President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva stated this Sunday (6) that a proposal for regulating the online betting sector should be ready in the next few days.
However, he mentioned that if the regulations do not bring the expected results to mitigate the risk of excessive gambling and financial loss to families, the government may suspend activity in the country.
“The regulations should be fully ready next week. Let’s see the result. If the regulations don’t produce results, we’ll put an end to it,” he said. “I will have no doubts about definitively putting an end to this,” he added.
The president highlighted that he prefers to adopt the new measures, as happens in much of the world, allowing people of legal age the freedom to bet. He also stressed that it is difficult to ban the game.
“I don’t want to stop people from betting, because people like to bet. Now, what I can’t do is allow betting to become a disease”, he amended.
Betting industry disputes Central Bank data on Bolsa Família
Asked about the use of the Bolsa Família benefit in betting, the president said that these cases are isolated. The betting industry contested the survey carried out by the Central Bank, pointing out a lack of clarity and transparency in the methods used.
According to information from the Central Bank, in August, Bolsa Família beneficiaries bet R$3 billion. An LCA study, commissioned by the Brazilian Institute of Responsible Gaming (IBJR), points out, however, that the amount spent was much lower, around R$210 million, since the BC did not take into account the amount returned in form of prizes.
Furthermore, Lula highlighted that, most of the time, those who receive the benefit are women, which contradicts the profile of the Brazilian player, which is mostly male. “The woman will not exchange what is right for what is doubtful. She will not exchange the R$10 she has with the prospect of earning R$100”, he said.
According to Lula, 2 thousand betting sites will be taken offline
Finally, the president of the republic declared that the Federal Government must ban approximately two thousand irregular betting sites in the coming weeks.