Senator Otto Alencar (PSD-BA), interim leader of the government in the Senate, decided to cancel the meeting that would install the Bets CPI, scheduled for this Friday (25). The decision was made because, on Fridays, the Senate does not hold face-to-face sessions.
Therefore, the parliamentarian chose to reschedule the meeting for next week. As he is the oldest senator, aged 77, he is the one who presides over the House’s CPI installations.
Senator Soraya Thronicke (Podemos-MS) initiated this action highlighting the urgency of discovering how companies, often not registered with the Ministry of Treasury, maintain their operations by changing CNPJs to circumvent inspection and profit in the Brazilian market.
The Bets CPI will also investigate the influence of betting on the family economy and its possible connection with illicit activities. Therefore, the concern is that betting platforms become associated with money laundering practices.
The CPI also intends to focus on marketing strategies and the actions of digital influencers who promote these platforms, often without warning about the risks and without adequate supervision.
The importance of licensing for betting operations in Brazil
Soraya Thronicke highlighted, in her speech, the importance of ensuring that foreign companies obtain the correct license to operate in Brazil. She mentions that the technological ability of these companies to change CNPJs without the customer noticing demonstrates a challenge for Brazilian legislation and supervision.
Senator Marcos Rogério (PL-RO) draws attention to the impact of gambling addiction on low-income families. He argues that it is essential to prohibit the use of the Bolsa Família card in this type of activity, as this practice exposes beneficiaries to serious financial and social risks.
It is worth noting that the Federal Government has already announced this measure, prohibiting the use of the social program card for betting on online platforms. However, the Central Bank acknowledged that its recent study on the topic may contain errors.
Information about the Bets CPI
Composed of eleven senators, the Bets CPI will have 130 days to complete its investigations. The first meeting, scheduled for 2pm, will define the choice of the commission’s president and rapporteur, positions that senators Dr. Hiran (PP-RR) and Soraya Thronicke must occupy, respectively.
Senators who will be part of the committee:
- Alessandro Vieira (MDB-SE)
- Angelo Coronel (PSD-BA)
- Dr. Hiran (PP-RR)
- Eduardo Gomes (PL-TO)
- Humberto Costa (PT-PE)
- Marcos Rogério (PL-RO)
- Omar Aziz (PSD-AM)
- Soraya Thronicke (Podemos-MS)
- Veneziano Vital do Rêgo (MDB-PB)
Ciro Nogueira (PP-PI), Eliziane Gama (PSD-MA), Fernando Farias (MDB-AL) and Izalci Lucas (PL-DF) will be the substitutes.