Minister Wellington Dias (Social Development) stated this Wednesday (13) that the use of Bolsa Família cards on online betting platforms will be blocked immediately following a decision by Minister Luiz Fux, of the Federal Supreme Court (STF).
Dias highlighted that the STF’s measure has immediate effect, accelerating a regulation that would only come into force in 2025 according to the regulations.
“The law that regulated gaming required a period of six months for measures like this. What the government wanted to do would take six months to come into effect, it would only come into effect in 2025. Now, with the Supreme Court’s decision, it comes into effect immediately”, he said during an event earlier in Rio de Janeiro.
Fux’s determination obliges the Ministry of Finance to immediately adopt mechanisms that prevent the use of benefits such as Bolsa Família and the Continuous Payment Benefit (BPC) in virtual betting. The measure was granted on a preliminary basis and still needs to be confirmed by the STF plenary.
Even so, Dias demonstrated confidence in the need, stating that the decision meets a request from President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT).
“Minister Luiz Fux’s decision matches President Lula’s position. He gathered his ministers and said: ‘look, we need to put the brakes on’ [nas apostas]. We will have to regulate, preventing the use of cards [de benefício social]all cards, including Bolsa Família and BPC, in betting, games and more”, he pointed out.
According to the minister, Lula recently discussed with government members the urgency of regulating the use of these resources, to curb the involvement of beneficiaries on betting platforms. The president even threatened to ban bets from operating in Brazil if the population was affected.
Wellington Dias also reinforced that the STF’s decision is an important step to protect the most vulnerable citizens, ensuring that resources allocated to social programs are used for the purpose for which they were created.
Fux’s decision adds to the request for unconstitutionality made by the Attorney General’s Office (PGR) last Monday (11), so that the STF suspends the effects of laws and ordinances that regulate betting in Brazil.
“The legislation is insufficient to protect the fundamental rights of consumers, given the predatory nature of the virtual betting market,” said Attorney General Paulo Gonet Branco in the action.
And, also, the installation of a CPI in the Senate to investigate the activities of bets in Brazil, in addition to influencers who advertise for them and the possibility that they are being used by organized crime to carry out money laundering.
The commission was requested by Senator Soraya Thronicke (Podemos-MS) and already has, as she said, at least 99 requests for summons, statements and taking information. There is a 130-day deadline.
“If it is necessary, until the end of the year, we hold two or three meetings in a week, we will do so, precisely because of the gravity and the scale that this situation has taken in our country. It’s really scary. And we want to deliver a solid but quick response to Brazilian society,” he said.
The CPI will work on eight axes, such as money laundering and currency evasion, consumer rights, financial transactions, socioeconomic impacts, advertising and social responsibility, algorithms and transparency on platforms, education and awareness and impacts on health.
“We list all the aspects: the responsibility of influencers, organized crime, currency evasion, how much is lost”, added Soraya. Data from the Central Bank shows that, in August alone, R$21 billion was spent on betting.
