Betting associations asked the Ministry of Health for a meeting to discuss a technical cooperation agreement. The objective is to also involve the Ministry of Treasury’s Prizes and Betting Secretariat in preventing gaming addiction in Brazil.
The initiative was led by ANJL (National Association of Games and Lotteries), which represents platforms such as Betnacional, Aposta Ganha and Sorte Online. Aigaming (International Gaming Association) and ABRAJOGO (Brazilian Association of International Gaming Operators and Providers) also participated.
Betting associations target mental health
The request was forwarded to the Minister of Health, Nísia Trindade, and the secretaries Régis Dudena and Giovanni Rocco Neto. They also directed Sônia Barros, director of the Department of Mental Health of the Ministry of Health.
Companies are under pressure due to possible harmful impacts on bettors’ mental health and debt. Therefore, the proposal aims to address these issues in a structured way.
The suggested agreement has four main goals:
- Research on the profile of bettors. Collect data on gambling patterns, behavior and disorders related to addiction. Therefore, the study would have technical validation from the Ministry of Health.
- Artificial intelligence in monitoring. Implement a real-time system to identify problematic patterns and suspicious activity.
- Responsible gaming indicator protocol. Create a set of guidelines for operators to monitor their platforms more rigorously.
- Interinstitutional working group. Bring together representatives of associations and government bodies to standardize monitoring indicators.
Prevention and monitoring at the heart of the proposal
Betting associations also suggested regulatory guidelines to create a national problem gambling monitoring system. Then, they indicated the identification of the gamblers’ risk profile and unilateral restrictions on the accounts of those identified as problematic.
These restrictions include:
- Limitations on deposit amounts.
- Bet blocking under certain conditions.
- Suspension of bonuses.
Therefore, with this initiative, the associations seek to create a safer environment for users of betting platforms. In other words, the idea is to align commercial interests with social responsibility, reducing the damage caused by uncontrolled gambling.
