On Monday (27), the National Association of Games and Lotteries (ANJL) released a study in which it points out that the federal government’s decision to prevent beneficiaries of social programs, such as Bolsa Família, from using betting platforms could push them into the illegal market.
According to the study, 45% of beneficiaries stated they intend to migrate to illegal sites to continue betting if the ban goes into effect. The measure is scheduled to come into effect on November 1st. The survey was conducted by Cruz Consulting between October 15th and 18th of this year.
What changes with the new rules
The research focused exclusively on beneficiaries of social programs, such as Bolsa Família. Furthermore, it provided a detailed overview of this population. According to the study’s results, approximately 70% of players are men, and the majority (40.8%) are between 25 and 34 years old.
For the ANJL, the data represents a warning to the federal government, as the ban could further strengthen the illegal gambling industry. Currently, the underground market accounts for approximately 60% of the country’s market.
According to Plínio Lemos Jorge, the ban is ineffective. “Banning doesn’t solve anything. It’s not effective, and it encourages the growth of clandestine websites, which are currently the biggest problem the federal government needs to solve.”
“There are 80 companies regulated by the Ministry of Finance that operate transparently and in a regulated manner, and thousands more that operate freely and without authorization. The most effective path is education and the use of technological tools that guarantee responsible gaming,” he said.
Beneficiaries are in favor of regulation
According to the study, 73.4% of respondents support federal government regulation of the gambling sector. The organization believes that the automatic blocking of CPFs for Bolsa Família and Continuous Benefit Payment (BPC) beneficiaries will likely drive a large portion of these individuals to unregulated platforms.
Recently, ANJL sent a Technical Note to the Secretariat of Prizes and Bets (SPA) of the Ministry of Treasury. In the text, the association warns of the risks of beneficiary bettors migrating to the illegal market.
