Zona de Azar Brazil – Brazil: CPI Listens to Health Professionals and Gambling Victims 

Brazil.-  November 12, 2024 www.zonadeazar.com The Parliamentary Inquiry Commission (CPI) on Game and Sports Betting Manipulation will hold a public hearing on Monday (11), starting at 2 p.m., to address pathological gambling addiction, known as ludopathy.

Recognized by the World Health Organization (WHO) since 1980, ludopathy has worsened in recent years with the popularization of online betting platforms, whose advertisements are virtually everywhere.

The event will be held at the request of Senator Eduardo Girão (Novo-CE). In his justification, the senator states that gambling addiction has caused various negative impacts on society, such as asset loss, population indebtedness, and an increase in suicides, among other issues.

Created to investigate facts related to allegations and suspicions of match-fixing in Brazilian soccer, supposedly involving players, managers, and betting companies, the CPI will welcome health professionals and gambling addicts to find suggestions to help reduce the negative effects caused by gambling.

Debaters

Five guests are confirmed, with three attending in person and two via videoconference. The Brazilian Medical Association (AMB) was invited to the hearing but has not yet confirmed participation.

• Dr. Hermano Tavares, professor at the Psychiatry Institute of the University of São Paulo (USP), attending in person;
• Representative of the Brazilian Association of Psychiatry (ABP), attending in person;
• André Rolim, businessman and former bettor, attending in person;
• Dr. Salomão Rodrigues Filho, representative of the Federal Council of Medicine (CFM), attending via videoconference;
• Dr. Oscar Rodolpho Bittencourt Cox, member of the Anti-Drug Council of Rio de Janeiro and representative of anonymous gamblers, attending via videoconference.

How to Participate

The event will be interactive: citizens can send questions and comments through the Senate’s Ombudsman phone line (0800 061 2211) or via the e-Citizenship Portal, which can be read and answered live by senators and debaters. The Senate offers a participation certificate, which can be used as a complementary activity in university courses, for example. The e-Citizenship Portal also receives citizen opinions on projects under discussion in the Senate, as well as suggestions for new laws.

Agência Senado (Reproduction authorized with citation of Agência Senado) Source: Agência Senado

Edited by: @_fonta www.zonadeazar.com