The head of the Secretariat of Prizes and Betting appeared before the Senate Parliamentary Investigation Commission and stated that efforts will be made to prevent problematic gambling.
Brazil.- The head of the Secretariat of Prizes and Betting (SPA) of the Ministry of Finance, Regis Dudena, was received by the Parliamentary Investigation Commission (CPI) on Manipulation of Games and Sports Betting, in the Federal Senate. The invitation to the secretary was made by the parliamentarians with the aim of discussing problematic gambling and the excessive indebtedness that some bettors might incur.
According to Agência Senado, during the session, when senators asked him about these issues, Dudena stated that the secretariat intends to launch a campaign this year to raise awareness about responsible gambling and that certified betting companies must also do the same.
“It is a direct demand from the minister (Fernando Haddad). We are working on the first steps of this campaign so that the population understands that betting is mere entertainment and that people will potentially lose money,” said the secretary after being questioned by the president of the CPI, Senator Jorge Kajuru.
“We imposed on all those agents who want to come to work in Brazil specific rules to know their bettors, monitor them, impose alerts in cases of gambling abuse, impose time restrictions, and, at the limit, create blocks for these bettors,” added Dudena.
Senator Eduardo Girão, who has already declared himself against the legalization of gambling, compared the addiction to betting with a public health epidemic. “We have seen an unprecedented human tragedy, what is happening in Brazil with these bets. We are seeing the tip of the iceberg of this collective debt,” stated Girão.
See also: Brazil: ordinance of the Secretariat of Prizes and Betting defines the collaboration of other units with the Subsecretariat of Authorizations
Meanwhile, the president of the Brazilian Association of Sports Betting (Abaesp), Rodrigo Alves, also participated in the debate and, while defending the right of Brazilians to bet, expressed concern about addiction.
