The Federal Government states that it is in the process of implementing the measure that prohibits beneficiaries of the Bolsa Família and Continuous Benefit Payment (BPC) programs from placing bets online.
The aim of the action is to prevent government transfers, in the form of social assistance, from having another purpose.
The movement began to gain momentum after a ruling by the Federal Supreme Court (STF). In it, the Federal Government warned that it would need to implement measures to control access by this public to betting houses. The measure could affect around 20 million registrations.
Initially, to prevent registration on the platforms, the government decided to block the Bolsa Família card. However, it was not enough, since bettors used the benefit money through personal cards when registering on the sites.
Now, the measure determines the blocking of the CPF of all beneficiaries of the programs. Therefore, payment methods such as cards or even Pix, have no chance of being used by bettors within the platforms.
Format for blocking the use of Bolsa Família in the legal alignment phase
The Secretary of Prizes and Bets at the Ministry of Treasury, Regis Dudena, stated in an interview with the Estadão website that the process is in the legal alignment phase to enter the practical phase.
According to him, the goal is to create a data collection system with all betting houses that are authorized by the Federal Government. In this way, the goal is to accurately count the volume of bets and the number of users of the programs that are within the betting platforms.
The legal consultant and coordinator of the Bolsa Família Federal Inspection Network, João Paulo de Faria Santos, stated that the recommendations sent to the STF in December 2024 are being taken into consideration for the formatting of the new measure.
According to him, one important point is that the beneficiaries’ bank accounts are not exclusive to the social program. Therefore, blocking access should be done with caution, as a way to avoid compromising access to other types of income for families.
“In this context, how could we differentiate the Bolsa Família resource from resources from another source to prohibit their use in betting? Therefore, we understand that it is technically unfeasible to comply with the determination in its current format”, stated Faria Santos.
Market professionals take a stand
In posts on social media, some members of companies and groups in the betting house market have been speaking out on the subject. One example of this is the CEO of Lottopar (Paraná State Lottery), Daniel Romanowski.
On a professional social network, he published a text that comments on the topic from the perspective of the betting market.
Check out the full text:
“The intention is to protect, but the result can be the opposite. The recent decision by the Federal Government and the STF to restrict access by Bolsa Família and social program beneficiaries to betting sites is based on a good intention: to protect the most vulnerable.
But we need to look beyond the surface. Instead of protecting, this measure could end up pushing these people into the underground world of illegal gambling, where there is no control, security or tax collection.
Even more serious: it reinforces a structural prejudice that those who receive aid are not capable of making choices for themselves — even if those choices involve risks. It is a worrying step in the opposite direction of individual freedom and financial inclusion.
If the goal is to reduce harm, the most efficient way is to combat illegal gambling and invest in financial education — not outright exclusion. Public decisions should be judged not only by their intention, but mainly by the results they generate.”
