Renato Gomes, director of the Organization of the Financial System and Resolution of the Central Bank (BC), criticized, this Thursday (24), the proposal to prohibit the use of Pix for payment in online betting.
During an event in Washington, United States, Gomes argued that the interruption could hinder the evolution of the digital agenda in Brazil. He stated that this agenda “is bringing Brazilians a cheap and beneficial means of payment”, highlighting the gains that Pix provides to Brazilian consumers to facilitate daily transactions.
“I think that harming this agenda and creating complicated operational problems to avoid using Pix for some expenses and not for others is something counterproductive in the end”, emphasized Gomes, commenting on the possible difficulties in implementing a restriction of this type.
For him, controlling the use of Pix only in betting would be a complex and possibly occasional task, since the system offers benefits that go beyond these specific segments.
Increased use of credit lines in betting and use of Pix
The Brazilian Association of Credit Card and Services Companies (Abecs) previously expressed concern about the increased use of credit lines in betting and the growing use of Pix in these payments.
The association points out that this trend could increase the risk of individualization for some consumers, increasing the number of transactions carried out for betting and increasing exposure to debt.
When addressing these issues, Gomes made it clear that the Central Bank should not regulate betting games directly, but rather observe the impacts of this sector on financial stability and the use of payment methods.
He highlighted that the institution’s concern must be external to the number of bettors and the consequences of using tools like Pix to preserve the system’s financial stability.
Furthermore, Gomes informs that the BC is in dialogue with other countries, especially in Latin America, to promote the integration of fast payment systems.
He commented on the potential for greater connection between these systems, explaining that “some countries have projects for quick payments and are trying to create projects similar to Pix to integrate them later”.
