The Special Commission of the Rio de Janeiro City Council, created to debate public policies related to sports betting, held its first meeting this Wednesday (25).
During the meeting, industry representatives discussed the need for regulation and the risks of uncontrolled use of virtual environments for financial betting on sporting events.
The chairman of the Committee, councilman Salvino Oliveira (Social Democratic Party – PSD), pointed out that gambling addiction still receives little attention in the public debate. According to him, it is essential to promote coordination between the federal, state and municipal spheres to address the issue broadly, also considering the areas of health and education.
Salvino Oliveira stated: “We left the meeting with interesting ideas about the possibility of responsible gaming and how the government can, through strict regulation and a package of laws that meet the population’s needs, ensure that those who can bet do so consciously.
Gamblers must have a full legal framework to protect them and a health network available for those who, in some way, exceed the limit.”
Betting sector advocates compliance with legislation and expansion of support in Rio de Janeiro
The president of the Jogo Positivo Association, Filipe Alves, argued that regulated betting houses follow all legal requirements. He cited as a basis Law No. 14,790, of December 29, 2023, which deals with fixed-odds bets, and SPA/Ministry of Treasury Ordinance No. 1,231, of July 31, 2024, which establishes guidelines for responsible gaming practices, communication and marketing.
Filipe Alves explained: “The first point here is that bookmakers have to comply with what the law determines, which includes the availability of functions within the platform to block excess games.
There are self-exclusion buttons. Let’s say the player no longer wants to play because he realized he was in a difficult situation and bet more than he should have. He has the option to take a break from gambling and self-exclude himself from the platform.
The second issue is self-regulation. Many betting operators are offering psychological support to bettors. The Betting Support Institute, for example, is maintained by some betting houses and has already helped more than 6,000 people in vulnerable situations.”
Integration between operators and public authorities
During the meeting, Salvino Oliveira also asked whether there is currently any exchange of data between operators and the government. According to him, the objective would be to support more effective public policies.
In response, Filipe Alves explained that the Secretariat of Prizes and Bets, linked to the Ministry of Finance, has already begun to structure this control. This occurred with the regulation that came into effect on January 1st.
Alves added: “Currently, there are 78 legal companies that are able to submit reports. This way, the department can carry out this mapping. There are already surveys that help inform the profile of gamblers in Brazil.
A recently published survey shows that men are the ones who bet the most and two thirds of bettors are between 18 and 28 years old.
However, it is estimated that there may be 6,000 illegal companies and the Secretariat can only map legal gambling. A major regulatory effort is needed, bringing together the federal, state and municipal governments to have a real diagnosis, since there are also municipal lotteries.”
The president of the Lottery Games Commission of the State of Rio de Janeiro, Paulo Horn, reinforced the importance of joint action between the federative entities in relation to the betting sector.
Paulo Horn stated: “If the Union, states and municipalities are present in this relationship, they will be collecting and these resources can be applied to public policies in social areas, for example. It is important to highlight that the betting sector generates employment, income and entertainment.”
In addition to Salvino Oliveira and Wagner Tavares, the Commission includes councilors Rafael Satiê (Liberal Party – PL), Flavio Valle (PSD) and Felipe Boró (PSD).
