More than 30 senators support the project presented by Soraya Thronicke.
Brazil.- The president of the Senate, Rodrigo Pacheco, read in the Plenary the request for the creation of a Parliamentary Commission of Investigation (CPI) aimed at investigating "the growing influence of online virtual betting on the budget of Brazilian families". The request (680/2024) was presented by Senator Soraya Thronicke and supported by another 30 senators.
The commission, which will have 130 days to conclude its work, will consist of 11 titular members and seven alternates. The spending limit of the CPI is R$ 110,000 (USD 19,950). According to the request, the CPI will also investigate the possible association of online betting companies “with criminal organizations involved in money laundering practices, as well as the use of digital influencers in the promotion and dissemination of these activities”.
Soraya Thronicke said that the goal of the CPI is to analyze the practices of currency evasion and money laundering, and the influence of Brazilian personalities in the operation of betting programs. The suspicion, she highlighted, is that the software is programmed to cause losses to bettors and always ensure an exaggerated profit margin for the companies. Thronicke also highlighted the fact that addiction to online games is a silent addiction, unlike addiction to alcohol or illicit drugs. The senator asked all blocks to move quickly in the designation of their members of the commission so that it can start functioning as soon as possible.
Senator Hiran expressed his support for the creation of the CPI. He said that even the Central Bank cannot control the transactions of the bets, which are based in tax havens and carry out their transactions with cryptocurrencies, making them difficult to trace. According to the senator, betting has contaminated the greatest passion of the Brazilian people, which is football.
See also: Official warning: Lula da Silva will ban betting if regulation is not effective in eradicating problematic gambling
The government leader in Congress, Senator Randolfe Rodrigues, praised the initiative of Senator Soraya Thronicke. According to him, the problem of online betting is, in addition to an economic problem for families, a serious social problem and a public health issue. He said he sees the CPI as a response from the Senate to Brazilian society and defended a debate on the advertising of betting. The senator is the author of a project that addresses the issue.
