The Brazilian Government is reportedly forming a platform to distribute information to licensed bookmakers, specifying the individuals who are legally prohibited from placing online bets.
According to Estadão, the list of those prohibited from betting is in the final stages of development at the Ministry of Finance‘s Secretariat of Prizes and Bets (SPA).
The portal also highlighted that companies will be forced to refuse registrations, deposits, and bets from users listed by the Government. Furthermore, if the person is already part of the platform’s player base and appears on the list, they must be blocked and receive a refund.
The list of individuals prohibited from betting includes Bolsa Família and Continuous Cash Benefit (BPC) beneficiaries, minors, public officials – whose work is related to the betting market – professional athletes, referees, sports officials, inspectors, or coaches, gambling addicts (people addicted to online betting), self-excluded individuals, and users prohibited from betting by specific court order.
Representatives of betting companies spoke with Estadão about the ban on beneficiaries of social programs, imposed by the Federal Supreme Court (STF). As the website highlighted, “the rule is still difficult to enforce without a government platform that unifies these people’s information”.
“[Betting companies] are not only harming adults, unfortunately people with fewer resources, but even teenagers are spending their parents’ and family’s savings on this type of betting,” said Ricardo Lewandowski, Minister of Justice, in March of this year.
The Ministry of Justice highlighted that teenagers are the most vulnerable to online gambling addiction – approximately 55% of gamblers between the ages of 14 and 17 are at risk. This rate drops to almost 38% among adults.
Unfolding developments
It follows a wider clampdown as part of the efforts to clean up the sector in the country, with the unfolding developments of “Operation Desfortuna” dominating the headlines of newspapers and tabloids across Brazil.
This was fuelled by police arresting prominent influencers for promoting illicit gambling websites.
The Civil Police of Rio de Janeiro’s Operação Desfortuna has exposed what authorities argue is a sprawling influencer-led promotion network diverting millions of Brazilians toward illicit/unlicensed operators.
Grabbing national headlines, the operation has executed 31 search-and-seizure warrants across Rio, São Paulo, and Minas Gerais, as police have charged 15 influencers whose collective reach eclipses that of the vast majority of mainstream media outlets.
One of the most notable arrests is that of Maurício “Maumau ZK”, detained in São Paulo following the discovery of an unregistered firearm, its serial number removed at his home.
Following his arrest, in footage filmed from his prison cell, Maumau contested the charges, declaring: “I’m not a thief, I’m not a criminal.” He insisted the firearm was part of a publicity stunt and maintained that his involvement with online gambling was limited to a marketing agreement. He was released the same day on R$151,800 bail, the maximum allowed for illicit weapons possession, now subject to strict court-imposed restrictions.
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