After almost a year of the regulation of sports betting in Brazil, an important issue was left aside: the limitation of access to betting by beneficiaries of social programs. Francisco Manssur, former Secretary of Prizes and Bets at the Ministry of Treasury, highlighted this need during an interview with the Exame portal.
Manssur, who played a crucial role in articulating the approval of the project, believes that the available data on bettors can be used to prevent vulnerable people, such as those who receive Bolsa Família or the Continuous Payment Benefit (BPC), from having unrestricted access to the betting market.
Manssur argues that current regulations allow for the crossing of information that would facilitate the creation of restrictions for these groups. As per your words,
“This is an important discussion. We will have a lot of information about bettors, and it may be necessary to discuss whether beneficiaries of social programs, such as Bolsa Família or BPC, should have access to the betting market.
It is not difficult to cross-check these people’s data, and it may be a case of creating a limitation to protect these people, given their socioeconomic profile. This is an issue that can be improved in the future.”
The trajectory of Francisco Manssur
Francisco Manssur is an experienced lawyer, specialized in sports law, with a career that began in 1998. He has worked in various areas related to sports, representing clubs, companies and sports entities.
In 2015, Manssur presented to senator Rodrigo Pacheco the proposal to create the Sociedade Anônima do Futebol (SAF), a project of great relevance for Brazilian sport.
His proximity to Gabriel Galípolo, former executive secretary of Finance, was fundamental for his appointment to the position of advisor to the Executive Secretariat of the Ministry of Treasury.
During his time in government, Manssur was responsible for drafting and articulating betting regulations in Brazil.
Earlier this year, Manssur left his government position and said he had completed his work, feeling it was time to move on. He is currently a partner at CSMV Advogados.
The impact of betting regulation
The regulation of sports betting, with the collaboration of Manssur, revealed several challenges and opportunities for the Brazilian market.
Among the main points addressed by the former secretary is the fight against gambling addiction. This question has become critical, especially as the industry has grown exponentially in recent years.
Furthermore, the lack of previous regulation prevented the government from collecting taxes on this market. This also made it difficult to implement effective policies to combat money laundering and gambling addiction.
Manssur also believes that regulation will help prevent misleading advertising and fraud. He cites as an example the promotion of games such as “Tigrinho” and “aviãozinho”. According to him, the problem is not in the game itself, but in the way it is sold, often in a misleading way. This leads people to mistakenly believe that they can get rich easily.
Finally, another crucial point of regulation is responsible gaming. Measures such as prohibiting the use of credit cards in betting allow players to bet only with the available balance in their accounts. Thus, limiting bettors’ risks. These measures aim to protect consumers, especially those most vulnerable.
Merger and acquisitions in the betting market
Manssur predicts that the betting market in Brazil will go through a phase of mergers and acquisitions after authorizations are issued to companies that have already requested entry into the sector.
With more than 113 authorization requests, the number of betting websites could grow substantially in the coming years, reaching almost 400 platforms operating in the country. However, he believes that this number could decrease after the merger process.
The former secretary also sees the judicialization of the sector as something natural, given the size and competitiveness of the market. He claims that the problem is not with the game itself, but with the way they sell it, often in a misleading way.
