casas de apostas
Casas de apostas irão proibir cartão de crédito antes do prazo. (Imagem: Fernando Haddad - Agência Brasil / Marcelo Camargo)

Some bookmakers will not wait for the government and stop paying for games by credit card from October 1st. An ordinance from the Ministry of Treasury makes this prohibition only from January onwards, when all the rules for this activity in Brazil come into force.

But this measure taken by the companies themselves is an attempt to respond to criticism from the government, Congress and society regarding spending on betting. Plínio Lemos Jorge, president of the National Association of Games and Lotteries (ANJL), spoke about the initiative in the gaming and betting sector.

“We will make this recommendation expressly, even to demonstrate to government bodies and the media that this concern is also ours”, he stated.

“We believe that opening up to credit cards leaves things out of control. We are an entertainment industry. I spoke to all our associates and 100% will follow,” he added.

Data from the Central Bank reveal that the monthly volume of transfers via Pix, from individuals to online betting houses, varied between R$18 and R$21 billion, in August alone.

Betting sector associations call retail and Federal Government for meeting

Retailers and banks have criticized the use of credit cards in gaming, saying it can put players into debt. The regulation of online betting began in 2023 and, after the law was published, there were several complementary ordinances on the subject.

Therefore, the entities that represent betting companies, such as ANJL itself and the Brazilian Institute of Responsible Gaming (IBJR) propose a meeting with these segments and the Federal Government “to address concerns” and develop “concrete measures for the success of the regulation” of betting in the country.

Furthermore, only regulated houses will be able to operate from January 2025. In this way, the government will block platforms that have not requested authorization from the Ministry of Treasury by October 1st.

This week, acting president Geraldo Alckmin also called on technicians from the Treasury, the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Justice to discuss the topic.