Zona de Azar Brasil – Brazil: Government Working Group Does Not Include Betting House Representatives
Brazil – March 14, 2025 – www.zonadeazar.com Representatives of betting houses were left out of the Interministerial Working Group (GT) on Mental Health and the Prevention and Reduction of Problematic Gambling Harm, created by the Federal Government.
According to the decree that established the GT members, representatives from the Ministries of Finance, Health, Sports, and the Secretariat of Communication (Secom) were appointed.
Each department nominated four representatives, totaling 16 full members and an equal number of alternates. Therefore, no space was given to representatives of the online sports betting sector.
Betting Houses Demand More Participation
The decree, published by Finance Minister Fernando Haddad at the end of February, included only representatives from the Esplanade. However, industry representatives are demanding more participation.
The main reason for this demand is the expectation of a regulation requiring the implementation of an integrated self-exclusion system. According to experts, this mechanism would allow a player who chooses to self-exclude from one betting site to be automatically excluded from all others as well.
When the group was officially announced by the Lula government, the Ministry of Finance stated that the GT’s focus would be to “develop strategies to prevent, mitigate harm, and provide support to individuals and communities affected by compulsive gambling practices or those in vulnerable situations, considering the context of fixed-odds betting.”
The GT and Its Responsibilities
The Interministerial Working Group on Mental Health and the Prevention and Reduction of Problematic Gambling Harm was established as a Federal Government initiative to combat gambling addiction.
Objectives:
- Develop an Action Plan to prevent and reduce harm
- Provide assistance to individuals at risk
- Propose regulatory and administrative strategies
- Coordinate actions with public and private entities
- Monitor and identify risk profiles among bettors
Legal Basis:
The initiative is based on Law No. 14.790, of December 29, 2023, and Law No. 13.756, of December 12, 2018.
Editor: @_fonta
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