The Brazilian government is preparing to launch three awareness campaigns about online betting, known as “bets”. Thus, these initiatives aim to alert players and ensure stricter regulation of the sector.
The first campaign, scheduled for next October, will focus on publicizing companies authorized to operate in Brazil. From that date onwards, the public will be able to consult the list of legal operators.
The second campaign will be broader and will count on the collaboration of the Ministry of Health. The objective is to raise awareness about the risks of debt and the impacts of gambling on health. The message will be clear: betting is a form of entertainment, not a way to get rich or make money.
In January 2025, the third campaign will be launched, where a list of companies that have received definitive authorization to operate in the country will be presented. This phase will mark the beginning of more rigorous monitoring of online betting activities.
Daily surveillance and player profiles
Starting in January, betting companies will have new obligations. They will need to send daily reports to the Ministry of Finance on player profiles, income and betting frequencies.
Furthermore, they must inform about the use of “influencers” and the terms of their contracts and remuneration.
The Secretary of Prizes and Bets at the Ministry of Finance, Regis Dudena, highlighted that the educational campaigns are being prepared in collaboration with the Ministry of Health.
“We will have educational campaigns that we are building both here at the Treasury and with our regulated companies (companies). There will be a considerable reinforcement with the work together with the Ministry of Health for the awareness phase.” Dudena told GLOBO.
The regulatory process is advancing. The government has set a deadline of August 20th for the accreditation of companies. Currently, 113 companies are being analyzed to obtain the necessary authorization.
The tendency is for new orders to occur in the coming days. So, from October 1st, anyone not on the list will be banned from operating.
“We started to see a separation between two groups: a group of betting companies that want to operate in Brazil legally and another group that started to use betting to commit fraud, to exploit bettors and even to commit crimes. Thus, the ordinance tries to separate who these companies are from the outset.” explained Dudena.
New tools for monitoring online bets
The regulation also includes new rules for operator self-regulation. In other words, betting sites must offer tools so that bettors can control themselves.
Therefore, if a bettor presents an income profile that is incompatible with his bets, the site must alert him and, if necessary, impose a mandatory break or ban.
“The site has to monitor this bettor in all his activities. So, if you are a bettor who has an income profile that is not compatible with betting, at first you will be forced to issue an alert, saying that your bet has become disconnected from your profile. But if he insists, he will have to impose a mandatory break and at the limit, he will be able to ban the bettor”, said Dudena.
The government also emphasized that the regulation aims to ensure that betting is viewed as safe entertainment.
“The State’s duty is to guarantee that the person will not get sick, to guarantee that the person will not get into debt. When we regulate an entertainment activity, we want people to be able to have fun and leave safe and sound”, concluded the secretary.
