In an interview with the Gaúcha Atualidade program, from Rádio Gaúcha, the Secretary of Prizes and Bets of the Ministry of Finance, Regis Dudena, stated about the use of Bolsa Família and other social programs for gambling, that the initial position of the Department, as regulators, is that 'should not impose restrictions'. "The idea of a program of this nature is to offer the resource to the citizen, allowing them to decide how to use it," he explained.
Dudena detailed the ordinances that authorize the operation of 66 betting sites in Brazil, in effect since last Wednesday (1st). Among the requirements that companies must comply with is the obligation to keep the betting sites with the domain bet.br, that is, to have their own headquarters in Brazil.
“Any bettor will be protected by the rules. The main change is that, from now on, any company that wishes to provide this service must, first, request authorization from the Ministry of Finance. Only after obtaining this authorization can it operate nationally,” explains the secretary.
Another point addressed by the Secretary of Prizes and Bets was the use of Bolsa Família on betting sites. According to estimates from the Central Bank, only in August last year, 5 million people belonging to beneficiary families sent R$ 3 billion to companies via Pix, with an average expenditure per person of R$ 100.
“Regarding social programs, our initial position, as regulators, is that we should not impose restrictions. The idea of a program of this nature is to offer the resource to the citizen, allowing them to decide how to use it,” explains Dudena.
The use of Bolsa Família on betting sites is controversial. In November last year, the Federal Supreme Court (STF) unanimously confirmed the injunction that ordered the federal government to adopt measures to prohibit social benefits from being applied in online betting.
However, the Attorney General's Office (AGU) claims to face technical challenges to prevent the use of Bolsa Família funds in online sports betting.
Among the challenges, the multifunctionality of the beneficiaries' bank accounts stands out, which receive not only Bolsa Família but also other sources of income, and the impossibility of sharing the list of beneficiaries with betting companies.
In addition, the limitation of blocking measures to debit cards, without covering transactions via Pix or prepaid cards, was cited as a practical barrier that is difficult to overcome.
Measures in force
In addition to the obligation to have its own headquarters in Brazil, other measures have come into force:
- prohibition of credit for betting and entry bonuses
- requirement to identify bettors by CPF
- facial recognition
- control of financial flows.
“Facial recognition allows us to start tackling a very serious problem in the betting sector: access by minors under 18 years old,” says Dudena.
Another important issue is the mental and financial health of bettors. One of the requirements of the Secretary of Prizes and Bets is that the bets offer the possibility for the bettor to exclude the registration just by pressing a button. With this, it is intended to facilitate and speed up an exit for those who identify addictions in betting.
In a measure coordinated with the Ministry of Health, the department also wants to establish preventive actions and treatment through the Unified Health System (SUS). An electronic contact channel should be created so that the compulsive bettor can seek help with a representative of the site.
“The responsible gaming rules establish controls on how the service can be offered, aiming to protect both the mental and financial health of bettors. Thus, we know who provides the service and how it should be provided, with special attention to the protection of bettors and the popular economy,” details the Secretary of Prizes and Bets.
Income tax
The regulation of online betting sites also provides that, at the end of the year, in the declaration of the Income Tax of Individuals (IRPF), bettors will have to report their earnings.
“We are working with the Federal Revenue to implement mechanisms that cross these data. Knowing the CNPJ of the companies and the results obtained, we intend to share this information with the Revenue, allowing it to use it to verify the Income Tax declarations,” reveals the secretary.
Source: GZH / Rádio Gaúcha
