Brazil: Proposal to Ban Bolsa Família and BPC Beneficiaries from Gambling
Brazil – April 3, 2025 www.zonadeazar.com – Regis Dudena, Secretary of Prizes and Betting at the Ministry of Finance, stated in an interview with Estadão that the Secretariat of Prizes and Betting (SPA) is preparing a measure to prohibit beneficiaries of Bolsa Família and the Continuous Cash Benefit (BPC) from using their resources for sports betting.
With this decision, the government follows the ruling of the Supreme Federal Court (STF), which in November 2024 unanimously upheld Minister Luiz Fux’s decision to immediately implement special protection measures to prevent the use of social program funds, such as Bolsa Família, in sports betting.
“This is still in the final stage of alignment, especially legal but also technical, to ensure it complies with the Supreme Court’s decision,” said Dudena.
According to the secretary, the prohibition will apply to the beneficiary regardless of the source of the funds used for betting: “Since we need to comply – it is a Supreme Court ruling – we are taking this precaution.”
“We do not have [a deadline] yet. We want to issue a regulatory order, but we are taking all necessary precautions because we know we are dealing with rights and a Supreme Court decision. We want to comply with this ruling in the best possible way, protecting all rights,” Dudena stated.
The secretary also explained that merely blocking the beneficiary’s card would not be effective: “It is very rare today for a beneficiary to receive payments exclusively through the Bolsa Família card. The norm is that they receive payments in an account linked to a card. The standalone Bolsa Família card – which is not linked to a payment or deposit account – is already prohibited under our regulations.”
“We presented these issues to the Supreme Court, explaining that this would be the feasible way to comply, and we are in the final phase of determining whether this is the best approach to fulfill the Supreme Court’s decision,” concluded Dudena.
Approximately 20.77 million families benefit from Bolsa Família, covering around 54.37 million people, including 25 million children or teenagers aged 0 to 18. Meanwhile, the Continuous Cash Benefit (BPC) supports more than 4.7 million Brazilians.
Edited by: @_fonta www.zonadeazar.com