The groups that include the operating companies claim that the financial entity's warnings to its clients when making bets are against economic freedom.
Brazil.- For a week now, Nubank has been warning its clients about transfers made to betting sites, suggesting they should keep the money in digital banking apps. In response, the associations AIGAMING, ABRAJOGOS, and ANJL published a note of repudiation against the action, stating that it is a discriminatory measure, which violates basic principles of economic freedom and goes beyond the role of the bank as a regulated financial institution.
When identifying that a transfer is intended for a betting house, the financial entity's app displays an alert with the question: "Is this transfer for a betting house?". If the client confirms, Nubank presents an informative message highlighting that, although some games are legal in Brazil, there is no guarantee of winning.
Furthermore, the bank suggests the possibility of storing money in a "box", a feature of the platform that allows saving in a practical way. Some social media users began to notice the situation and questioned whether the functionality would interfere with the personal decisions of the clients.
From Nubank, they stated that they are always "looking for opportunities to improve the customer experience" and explained that the entity "frequently tests new products and solutions for a small part of the user base", which implies that the alerts are not for everyone.
However, in a statement, the National Association of Games and Lotteries (ANJL), AIGAIMING, and ABRAJOGOS, rejected Nubank's actions.
"The associations AIGAMING, ABRAJOGOS, and ANJL publicly express their rejection of Nubank's initiative to warn its clients against transfers made to betting sites. Such a measure violates the principles of equality and economic freedom, going beyond the role of the bank as a regulated financial institution," they explained in a joint note.
In another part of the letter, the groups state: "We question the selectivity in the application of these alerts. As pointed out by the lawyer and president of the ANJL, Plínio Lemos Jorge, the bank does not issue the same warning when the client purchases items such as alcoholic beverages and cigarettes, which are also identified as causing addiction and health damage."
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Moreover, it was also highlighted that: "Another concerning point is the fact that, while regulation progresses to curb illegal practices, there are still hundreds of unlicensed betting sites operating in the Brazilian market. However, Nubank's alert is not activated for transactions made on these sites, which aggravates the problem and discourages consumers from migrating to properly regulated operators."
