【willbet Best Online Gambling】Brazil adds new gambling market restrictions amid regulatory updates

The country’s Secretariat of Prizes and Betting (SPA) is finalising a new set of rules that would block individuals receiving Brazil’s Bolsa Família and Continuous Cash Benefit (BPC) from participating in legal gambling activities, including online betting.

Regis Dudena, secretary of the SPA, confirmed that the plan is in its final stage of legal and technical alignment in an interview with media outlet Estadão.

The forthcoming regulation is a response to a directive from Brazil’s Federal Supreme Court, which in November 2024 upheld a decision by Minister Luiz Fux mandating protective measures to safeguard social welfare recipients from the risks associated with gambling.

The court emphasised the need for the state to prevent public welfare funds from being misused in gambling activities.

Dudena explained that the prohibition would not be limited to the welfare funds themselves, but would extend to the individual as a whole.

The SPA, an agency under Brazil’s Ministry of Finance, has found that simply blocking transactions made with the Bolsa Família card is ineffective, because most beneficiaries no longer use a standalone welfare card.

Instead, welfare funds are typically deposited into linked bank accounts, which come with standard debit cards.

As a result, individuals can use other sources of funds in the same account to place bets, making direct regulation of the welfare card insufficient.

Complying with government orders

According to the SPA, the only effective way to comply with the Supreme Court ruling is to prevent all account holders identified as welfare beneficiaries from accessing gambling platforms, regardless of which funds are used.

This would involve integrating beneficiary data with gambling account verification systems, ensuring these individuals are excluded from placing bets through both online and physical platforms.

Bolsa Família is Brazil’s primary social welfare program, targeting families living in extreme poverty. To qualify, families must have a per capita monthly income below a government-set threshold.

The program currently supports over 20 million households, according to government data, representing more than 54 million people across the country.

The BPC, meanwhile, is a non-contributory pension scheme available to elderly citizens over 64 years old and individuals with disabilities who are unable to support themselves.

Eligibility for BPC requires a per capita family income of less than one-quarter of the minimum wage.

The SPA’s approach seeks to strike a balance between regulatory compliance and the protection of individual rights.

Dudena emphasised that the agency is proceeding cautiously and deliberately to ensure that the final regulation fully aligns with the Supreme Court’s mandate, while respecting the legal protections of social welfare recipients.

No specific date has been set for the regulation’s publication, but officials say the process is in its final phase.

More gambling reforms coming

In parallel to these welfare-related gambling restrictions, the SPA is advancing broader reforms aimed at standardising Brazil’s fragmented betting regulations.

On 4 April, the SPA will convene representatives from all Brazilian states in Brasília to discuss the establishment of a national betting system.

This meeting marks a critical step in federal efforts to unify the country’s gambling laws and improve regulatory coordination across jurisdictions.

Under the current system, gambling laws vary widely between states, leading to inconsistent standards and enforcement.

The SPA is therefore seeking to implement a centralised system that would streamline oversight, set uniform standards for responsible gambling practices, and enhance measures to combat money laundering and match-fixing.

Each state has been invited to submit up to three priority issues for discussion, with the goal of identifying areas where federal and state regulations can be harmonised.

The SPA views this initiative as essential to the long-term success and integrity of Brazil’s burgeoning online gambling market, which is undergoing rapid growth following recent legislation that legalises and regulates online betting at the national level.

The timing of the meeting coincides with the conclusion of the SPA’s public consultation on regulatory reforms, which ended on 27 March.

The final regulatory agenda for 2025–2026 is expected to be released on 4 April, and will include the national betting system as a central initiative.

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