The Secretariat of Prizes and Betting (SPA) was surprised by the launch of the “Free from Bets with one click” campaign on the government’s social media. Furthermore, the tone of the ads and the timing of the posting did not please the representatives of the SPA, which falls under the purview of the Ministry of Treasury, headed by Fernando Haddad.
The campaign was launched last week. The situation exposed the discord within the government regarding the issue of sportsbooks.
To give you an idea of how this misunderstanding between SPA and the government came about, the campaign was launched on social media while representatives from betting companies were in Brasília to participate in the 1st In-Person Meeting on Prevention of Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing.
The event was aimed at online betting operators. The Ministry of Finance organized the meeting to align opinions between operators and public authorities, and also to consolidate the regulated sector in the country.
On the other hand, the “Free from Bets with one click” campaign promotes the new self-exclusion platform. For the sector, it adopts a format that the betting market has classified as hostile and “prohibitionist” towards the regulated market. This is because the advertisements encourage total blocking on websites, including those regulated by the government itself.
Currently, the betting industry is experiencing a period of disagreement with the federal government. Although it initially advocated for regulation, it now proposes higher taxes without concern for preventative measures or combating addiction.
According to information from Brasília, after alleged negative repercussions regarding the risks of online gambling, the Presidential Palace began using its communications and marketing departments to combat the practice.
The self-exclusion tool in question in the campaign was announced in early December. Through it, the government gathers information about healthcare services within the Unified Health System (SUS) for those experiencing gambling-related problems.
