TCU quer que governo imponha restrições no uso de Bolsa Família com bets
TCU quer que governo imponha restrições no uso de Bolsa Família com bets. (Imagem: Governo Federal / Divulgação)

The Federal Court of Auditors (TCU) adopted a firm stance to prevent the use of social benefit resources, such as Bolsa Família, in online betting. Therefore, minister Jhonatan de Jesus ordered the government to implement immediate technical solutions to prohibit this practice. He also demanded that they inform the TCU about the measures taken within 15 days.

The precautionary decision was sent to the Ministry of Treasury, Social Development, Sports and Caixa Econômica. In other words, for TCU, the measure aims to protect the government and ensure the appropriate use of public resources.

TCU measure aims to prevent deviations in purpose

According to the minister, this preventive action is essential to prevent public resources from being used in activities that are incompatible with the constitutional purposes of social programs. The focus is to maintain assistance to vulnerable families without undermining the legitimacy of public policies.

“The Court’s preventive action aims to protect the treasury, as well as the efficiency and legitimacy of public policy, without generating an irreversible negative impact on the beneficiaries”, stated the minister. He reinforced that the measure is proportional and reasonable, ensuring that its benefits overcome any temporary impacts.

The concern about the use of social benefits in online betting is long-standing. Minister Luiz Fux, of the STF (Supreme Federal Court), ordered the government to restrict Bolsa Família. Last week, the AGU stated that there is still a lack of technical means to stop these transactions.

A technical note from the Central Bank revealed the scale of the problem. In August 2024, around 5 million beneficiaries of the program sent R$3 billion to betting companies via Pix. This data reinforces the urgency of more effective regulation, but was contested by the industry.

Normative vacuum and regulation of the betting market

Minister Jhonatan de Jesus also highlighted the existence of a “normative vacuum” in the betting market. But the government has already brought forward some measures, even though the regulatory framework will only come into effect in January 2025. Among them is the removal of unauthorized websites. However, most of the shares were held for next year.

“The absence of supervisory and sanctioning mechanisms creates a regulatory vacuum in the short term, especially in the protection of the most delicate social interests”, pointed out the minister. The statement highlights the need for urgent solutions to address the sector’s rapid growth and its social impacts.

With the popularization of sports betting and the increase in the number of bettors, the debate on regulating the sector becomes increasingly relevant.

Therefore, the pressure to protect public resources and guarantee the safety of beneficiaries of social programs should guide government actions in the coming months.