Sports betting regulation may be debated by the Senate
Sports betting regulation may be debated by the Senate Photo: Edilson Rodrigues / Senado Agency

Football fans are used to seeing advertisements from different betting sites on their teams’ shirts. Even championships are already named after the brand of bookmakers.

After all, this is a billionaire market that began to expand in Brazil from a 2018 law that allowed the activity. But there has still been no sports betting regulation and the companies that currently operate in Brazil are headquartered abroad.

For senator Jorge Kajuru, from the Goiás PSB, this issue needs to be dealt with urgently. “In my opinion, the time had come to take care of this matter, this wasp’s nest. Because of the dizzying growth of the sports betting market and the problems arising from the lack of regulation”.

“And the lack of specific legislation has led companies to base their business abroad, which generates losses to the public coffers due to the lack of tax collection”, added the senator.

Senators drafted a proposal to regulate sports betting in Brazil

Jorge Kajuru and Senator Hamilton Mourão, from the Republicans of Rio Grande do Sul, prepared a proposal aimed at regulating sports betting in the national territory.

According to the Senate Agency, the company would have to have at least one branch in Brazil, pay an amount of around 20 million reais to obtain a five-year authorization and collect taxes on the awards.

In addition, the bookmaker will also have the obligation to advertise the so-called “Responsible Gaming”, as Kajuru pointed out.

“Advertising without brakes can generate serious social problems. It is worrying the number of teenagers and even children who venture into the world of gambling without proper knowledge of the risks to mental health, triggering not only compulsive behaviors but also addictions”, he stressed.

PL must be forwarded to Senate Committees

The proposed sports betting regulation (PL 845/2023), which also provides for the investment of part of the taxes collected in public schools in poor communities, will be sent for analysis by the Senate Committees in the coming days.