Zona de Azar Brasil – Brazil: Gambling with Bolsa Família Funds May Be Banned

Brazil.- March 12, 2025 www.zonadeazar.com According to the president of the Federal Court of Accounts (TCU), Vital do Rêgo, a partnership with the Central Bank (BC) allows for the analysis of Bolsa Família beneficiaries’ data, making it possible to prohibit the use of these funds for gambling.

Federal agencies are concerned about tracking and preventing the use of funds from social programs for online gambling.

Previously, in December of last year, the TCU ordered the Presidency of the Republic to take “immediate” action to prohibit this practice. At the time, the order was signed by Minister Jonathan de Jesus as a precautionary measure.

In a statement, President Lula acknowledged that betting houses are a problem that requires attention. “Many people are going into debt, spending what they don’t have. It should be treated as an addiction,” Lula said at the time.

Bolsa Família Funds Used for Online Gambling

The issue also raises concerns at the Central Bank. A study conducted by the BC revealed that, in August 2024 alone, five million Bolsa Família beneficiaries spent approximately R$3 billion on online gambling through Pix. This translates to an average of R$100 per person.

However, the methodology of the study was questioned by the industry. In response, published by Folha de São Paulo through the Freedom of Information Act (LAI), the Central Bank did not rule out potential errors in the study’s conclusions.

According to Folha’s findings, the analysis did not take into account important parameters, such as the winnings returned to bettors. Another study estimates that Bolsa Família beneficiaries actually spent R$210 million on gambling in August.

Despite this, the government is already aware of the issue and is considering actions to limit and prohibit the use of social program funds for online gambling.

In October, the Minister of Social Development, Wellington Dias, stated that the government would ban the use of the Bolsa Família card for payments on online gambling platforms.

“The Bolsa Família card is intended to cover family needs, such as food and other essentials. Certainly, gambling is not a necessity. To prevent any stigma against the Bolsa Família card, the general restriction applied to all cards will also apply to this one,” he explained.

Edited by: @_fonta
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