The platforms that are part of the National Association of Games and Lotteries (ANJL) must move forward the ban on the use of credit cards for online betting to October 1st. The prohibition of this payment method had already been determined by a decree from the Ministry of Finance, but the rule only comes into effect in January 2025. Credit cards represent only 3% of bets, reveals the entity.
“This is not a response from the betting market to criticisms from other sectors. Card payment is almost nonexistent in the industry,” said in a statement the president of ANJL, Plínio Lemos Jorge. “Therefore, we are reinforcing a practice that was already widely spread by the bets themselves, which is to offer players the Pix.”
According to ANJL, credit cards are used for less than 3% of the total bets made on the associated platforms. Jorge highlights that the guideline to ban the use of the card had already been sewn in meetings with the Secretariat of Prizes and Bets (SPA), from the Ministry of Finance.
The economic team was studying the publication of a new decree to anticipate the prohibition of the card; however, given the signals from the bets, it assesses that the measure may not be necessary.
Launched in March 2023, ANJL includes among its members companies such as GaleraBet/PlayTech, Big Brazil, F12, PagBet, BetNacional, Mr. Jack, Parimatch, BetFast, Aposta Ganha, Liderança Capitalização, ZRO Bank, Propane, PAAG, Clear Sale, BetBox tv, StarsPay, WEpayments, 1xBet, and PG Soft.
The immediate prohibition of the use of credit cards in betting has been defended by the president of the Brazilian Federation of Banks (Febraban), Isaac Sidney – for whom online gambling has taken on “gigantic and alarming” proportions. One of the fears is the increase in default, facilitated by this payment method.
According to the Ministry of Finance's decree, bettors will only be able to make bets through instant payment methods, such as Pix, TED, debit card, or prepaid card.
Pix is the predominant means for placing bets. A study by the Central Bank released this Tuesday, estimates that the monthly volume of transfers via Pix from individuals to online betting companies ranged between R$ 18 billion and R$ 21 billion from January to August.
The BC estimates that about 24 million people participated in gambling and betting during the period. The survey also revealed that, in August, 5 million people from families benefiting from the Bolsa Família sent R$ 3 billion via Pix to betting platforms.
This Wednesday, the Minister of Finance, Fernando Haddad, reinforced that a type of CPF monitoring will be implemented. “We will be able to have an alert system in relation to people who are showing some psychological dependence on gambling,” he said during a conference at Safra bank.
Also this Wednesday, the executive secretary of the Finance, Dario Durigan, stated that the government is concerned with the high commitment of family income in games on betting platforms.
“It is such a concern of the Finance that it is part of the regulation – already edited by us, from the Finance – the obligation to share information from companies, which have authorization from the Finance, for the control of indebtedness by CPF,” said Durigan.
Source: Estadão
