Brazil’s Ministry of Finance creating a list of individuals banned from online gambling
The Ministry of Finance is preparing a platform that will inform betting companies about individuals legally prohibited from placing online bets in the country. Currently in the final stages of development at the Prizes and Betting Secretariat (SPA), the “Banned from Betting List” will include beneficiaries of the Bolsa Família welfare programme, minors under 18, professional athletes, and individuals diagnosed with gambling addiction.
With the information provided by the federal government, companies will be required to deny any registration, deposit, or bet from these new users. If a person on the list is already part of the site’s betting database, they will be blocked, and any funds will be returned.
According to news portal Estadão, the list encompasses several categories of individuals, including beneficiaries of the Bolsa Família and the Continuous Cash Benefit (BPC) programmes, as well as minors under 18. Additionally, it includes public agents with work related to the betting sector, professional athletes, referees, managers, inspectors and sports coaches. Furthermore, individuals diagnosed with gambling addiction, self-excluded individuals who voluntarily opt out of betting, and users banned from betting by specific court decisions are also included in the list.
Representatives from betting companies interviewed by Estadão said that they believed that despite the Supreme Federal Court’s (STF) prohibition on bets from Bolsa Família and BPC beneficiaries, enforcing this rule is challenging without a government platform that consolidates these individuals’ information.
According to Estadão, industry members believe that the most feasible prohibition to enforce so far is the ban on children and adolescents. This is due to platforms requiring users’ identification documents during registration and submitting daily data of new bettors to the Ministry of Finance.
Data from the Ministry of Justice indicates that adolescents are the most vulnerable group to gambling addiction: 55.2% of bettors aged 14 to 17 are at risk, compared to 37.7% among adults.
