According to the president of the Federal Court of Auditors (TCU), Vital do Rêgo (photo), a partnership with the Central Bank (BC) allows the analysis of data from Bolsa Família beneficiaries and, therefore, the prohibition of the use of resources is possible.
It is a concern of federal agencies to track and prohibit the use of resources from social projects in online betting.
Previously, in December of last year, the TCU ordered the Presidency of the Republic to take “immediate” measures to prohibit the practice. At the time, the order was signed by Minister Jonathan de Jesus, as a precautionary measure.
In a statement, President Lula said he understood betting houses as a problem that needed attention. “There are a lot of people getting into debt, spending what they don’t have, it has to be treated as a dependency,” Lula said at the time.
Bolsa Família resources with online betting
The issue is also a cause for concern for the Central Bank. A study conducted by the Central Bank revealed that, in August 2024 alone, five million people benefiting from Bolsa Família spent around R$3 billion on online bets, via Pix. This, diluted by the number of bets, amounts to an average value of R$100 per person.
However, the research methodology was questioned by the industry. In its response, published by Folha de São Paulo through the Access to Information Law (LAI), the Central Bank did not rule out possible errors in the survey’s conclusions.
According to Folha’s findings, the analysis did not consider important parameters, such as the prizes returned to bettors. Another survey estimates that Bolsa Família beneficiaries would have actually spent R$210 million on bets in the month of August.
Despite this, the government is already aware of the issue. However, it is studying actions to limit and prohibit the use of resources from social projects for online betting.
In October, the Minister of Social Development, Wellington Dias, stated that the government would prohibit the use of the Bolsa Família card for payment in online betting systems.
“The Bolsa Família card can be used freely to meet family needs, including food and other items. Games are certainly not a necessity. In order to avoid creating prejudice against the Bolsa Família card, the general measure that applies to all cards also applies to the Bolsa Família card,” he said.
