Brazilian government wants to ban online bets and restrict sports betting

[Fiatless]

Let me understand something clearly about this whole thing with the bans, what is really the cause of the action? From what you have stated here, I see that it was duly because of illegal gambling of gamblers because from the look of things the casino's and gambling industries do operates legally with the fact that they are licensed.

The Finance Ministry estimates ​that Brazilians spend about 60 billion reais a year on betting, as banks and industry ​groups point to ⁠evidence that gambling is siphoning money away from consumer spending and household bills.

The problem is not illegal gambling. The government is concerned that many Brazilians are spending too much on gambling. They are concerned that these gambling platforms are making excess money.

At some points the government have to ignore the fact that they're making money from the gambling revenue and decides to do the right thing by placing the bans in other to conduct wellbeing of the people.
In the other hand, it's another form of cheating of the government that they'd tax individual companies for legal operations and still places them on ban after collecting money.

Banning these online casinos is just a part of what should be done. Taking measures to limit access to illegal gambling services is another task. This is because illegal platforms will take advantage of the ban to prey on gamblers. In my view, limiting financial transactions to gambling platforms would have been more effective. Let there be a limit to the amount that citizens would transfer to casinos.

[Karl_3000]

Banning these online casinos is just a part of what should be done. Taking measures to limit access to illegal gambling services is another task. This is because illegal platforms will take advantage of the ban to prey on gamblers. In my view, limiting financial transactions to gambling platforms would have been more effective. Let there be a limit to the amount that citizens would transfer to casinos.

Banning a registered gambling sites will be one of the worst mistake the Brazilian government will make. Why should the government limit the money people will use to gamble like they are children? People should learn their lessons that gambling can not be used in making money and they should not be greedily look for money through gambling.

[TedMosby]

[...]
There are advocates on both sides: some want a total ban, while others argue that with a ban, people will continue to gamble "illegally"
[...]

Couldn't agree more about it, especially for a country like Brazil, where I think football has already become part of their national identity. I don't know how it works there, but I often see news about corruption and mafias, besides all the football related stuff coming out of Brazil. It makes me think somehow it's just like Mexico with its drug cartels. Can any Brazilian confirm this and correct me if there's anything wrong about my perception?

I believe it would be better for them to legalize it, tax it, and use the money to build a better Brazil. It would be a huge amount of money considering Brazil is a football country. 7 out of 10 people in Brazil are football fans or actively follow the sport. It indirectly indicates that the number of sports bettors is potentially high too, since football has a close relationship with sports betting, and gambling in Brazil seems deeply rooted, Jogo do bicho for example [1]. Imagine the money they can get from sports betting.

But again, the corruption side would be a significant challenge for them. They seem pretty bad at handling corruption, with a corruption index of 35/100 on average in the last 3 years [2].

Source:
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jogo_do_bicho
[2] https://tradingeconomics.com/brazil/corruption-index

[angrybirdy]

No matter what they government does gambler will definitely look for various means to gamble even is Brazil government bans online casinos. This is because gamblers will bypass and gamble with VPN and that puts the government on the losing side. They have made a lot of money from gambling why are they trying to ban online casinos operating legally in the country. They can ban the illegal ones.

Thats right! if gambling is already into their daily routines, i think that banning a legal online casinos is not the solution because those gamblers will surely find another way just to gamble, they can use vpn or worst is they will entering the illegal gambling sites, which i think, will create an another problem to their government... It's okay to go with a legal casino because officials can actually keep on track through their operations and enforce rules. So instead of throwing a ban to any gambling related sites, the main focus should be hunting down those illegal platforms so they can protect people from addictions and financial harm.

[Cossyblack]

They should rather aim towards regulating the gambling sector more strictly. This will keep every gambler on their toes and also help flush out bad casinos. Everyone stays safe in the end: the gamblers, the casinos, and the government.

Online gambling platforms generate huge revenue for the Brazilian government,so if they tries to stop it or make it stricter so that people won't abandon gambling,there are about to lose $billions that they have been benefiting from gambling companies. They can't afford to lose such huge amounts of money as it has been contributing immensely to their economy. Brazil government can re think of a way to accommodate more gambling companies rather restricting them in the country,if they can regulate the gambling sector to flush out the bad ones, better that way than banning it entirely.

[TheUltraElite]

This will reduce the chance that future casinos are going to start any business in Brazil for sure if it gets introduced.

Of course both parties have a opinion that they can share once it gets launched. Since the government took money from owners to give them licenses and now is attempting to ban the same people, there will be a legal tussle between them for those who invested.

I am sure physical casinos will still run supported by locals but new online casinos will not want to start new businesses.

[Altryist]

 I think the Brazilian government has always been focused on imposing restrictions. I remember reading not long ago, maybe about a year ago, that they were blocking access to social media platforms, including X, and I believe they even introduced some fines for using a VPN. So I’m not surprised if they want to fight gambling in the same way.

[Hispo]

@Hispo, however issue is not limited merely to how individual choose to spend their own money. It seems to me there are significant social harm involved here.

When 75% of population opposes gambling then it is not just any ordinary opinion. And government, after all, represents the people.

I am not really sure what the gambling environment is like there, perhaps negative impact on their society is severe. Public might realize that cost of addressing social problem caused by gambling would exceed tax revenue government generate from it. I dunno exactly.

Therefore balance needs to be struck. It is not right to disregard public interest and social stability simply by citing govt revenue and unfettered personal freedom.

I am not from Brazil either, I am from a neighbor country: Venezuela. But based on what I know from Brazil, this opposition to gambling and betting may be rather based on the religious majority of the people in Brazil and not only on the perceived harm gambling addiction could be causing to Brazilian society.
Here in Venezuela we also have serious societal problems and we also have gambling being completely legal and also regulated, and still we don't have any endemic addiction problem in the same manner it could be happening in other countries like the Philippines or perhaps on Brazil.

Still, you could be right and damage being done by addiction could be high and I don't know about it.

[LUCKMCFLY]

It surprises me that in a country like Brazil, where there are so many freedoms, Brazilians obviously aren't stupid—they wouldn't let such things happen. It's impossible for them to allow it. It's a purely football-mad country; football is like a religion there, and sports regulations are something they simply can't avoid. Besides, it represents a huge percentage of business in the country.

If they carry it out, it won't work. It will turn into a war because Brazilians like to have fun; they like the good things in life, just like everyone else. It's been proven time and again that governments themselves seek to take away freedoms and entertainment from their people. Truly, the real cancer of the world lies in governments.

[hedgeh0g]

What do you think guys?

Most likely, those who plan to organize casinos in this country will need to unite into a single community and try to establish contact with the government, or rather with the ministers who will be handling this issue, in order to achieve some concrete results. Because this is a very large, multi‑million‑dollar business, and no one will invest in this country knowing that, for example, tomorrow the ministers might completely abolish gambling. I think they need to reach some kind of agreement, but the government would also be making a mistake by completely abandoning gambling. Because this is a significant source of budget revenue.

[Russlenat]

I'm just curious if they already have a report showing whether the controls they put in place are actually effective or not. At least that would give people something to review before they make a much harsher decision like eventually banning online gambling altogether.

If the current measures are not working, then show the data and explain why. But if they have not even properly measured the results yet, jumping straight to a ban can make it look like the regulators are running out of options instead of improving the system they already created.

For me, banning everything should be the last option. If they are doing their job properly, there should first be clear evidence showing what failed, what still works, and why this action is really necessary.

[New Judgement]

I think the government should allow the gambling companies to operate legally. Provided they are observing all legal compliance, they should allow them operate. Look at the big money that the government generated from gambling companies. This money can be invested in other sectors that will benefit the citizens. I don’t just understand why they can’t allow gamblers do their things in peace. If the government ban gambling over there, they will be the ones losing because people will surely find another way to gamble.

[AmaGold70]

I would say the Brazilian government have benefitted a lot from these gambling or betting companies, ranging from the huge amount of money they collected from these gambling companies to sponsoring the teams in the Brazilian soccer, and the reason for trying to ban gambling not even properly made clear. If they want want to ban gambling because of their citizens, maybe they feel their citizens are becoming irresponsible with gambling probably with sports betting, and decides to enact a law to restrict gamblers, that won't solve the problem, because they can hide, and steal engage in other forms of gambling. If am to say, the Brazilian government has gained many benefits from this betting companies, so instead of lifting total ban on gambling, it would have been better to advocate for responsible gambling.

[kingstep]

Banning these online casinos is just a part of what should be done. Taking measures to limit access to illegal gambling services is another task. This is because illegal platforms will take advantage of the ban to prey on gamblers. In my view, limiting financial transactions to gambling platforms would have been more effective. Let there be a limit to the amount that citizens would transfer to casinos.

Banning a registered gambling sites will be one of the worst mistake the Brazilian government will make. Why should the government limit the money people will use to gamble like they are children? People should learn their lessons that gambling can not be used in making money and they should not be greedily look for money through gambling.

It's just like saying that the government does not have the right to ban the use of substance considering that if it is not abused that it is not a big deal. while that is the case, government does not act out of impulse, the rate of involvement in gambling might have gotten to an alarming rate which would have necessitated this. It is also possible that this might just be a threat that will with time become less talked about and the goal might just be to scare people away and help maintain a sort of sanity among gamblers. Even though they might have benefited from the gambling industry, they would still want to set up policies that suggest that they are concerned about the well being of her people.

[Nrcewker]

The Brazilian government is preparing a provisional measure to ban online gaming and restrict sports betting
It’s interesting that this comes not long after Brazil collected a lot of money from company licenses

Then what about the five year licenses they issued to the casinos and the money they collected from them? One more question, are they banning only crypto casinos or both crypto and fiat casinos?

This will not only affect the country’s economy but the soccer teams will also need to find other high paying sponsors. I think they are doing this to draw public attention to gambling addiction. I dont know the exact reason, as I am not from Brazil but are they doing this so that people will see how much the government cares and then re-elect the same government?

[Franctoshi]

No matter what they government does gambler will definitely look for various means to gamble even is Brazil government bans online casinos. This is because gamblers will bypass and gamble with VPN and that puts the government on the losing side. They have made a lot of money from gambling why are they trying to ban online casinos operating legally in the country. They can ban the illegal ones.

Certainly, the best thing is proper registration and regulation of these betting sites in ones country and also the scrutiny of the activities of this gambling site because, some of them are their to scam citizens and manipulate their games so people lose money, However, banning of this gambling won't totally solve the problems faced with people losing money and if that is their major concern. The problem of why people lose money to gambling sites can be checkmate-based on the fairness of a particular betting site, because some of them manipulate their games that cause gamblers to lose money.

[Nightwatchmare]

The 30 million reais each gambling company operating in Brazil paid to Brazilian government for 5 years gambling license have not even expired and Brazilian government wants to ban gambling. It seems Brazilian government are not satisfied with the money they have made from gambling companies and they want another means they can use to milk gambling companies, and i think that is the reason they are preparing to ban gambling so that the gambling companies in Brazil can offer to pay more money in order for gambling to remain legal. However, even if Brazilian government ban gambling it will not stop Brazilians from gambling because VPN is there to help them gamble illegal.

[Fortify]

The Brazilian government is preparing a provisional measure to ban online gaming and restrict sports betting
It’s interesting that this comes not long after Brazil collected a lot of money from company licenses

Furthermore, now that betting is legalized here, there’s still the issue of sponsorships. For example, it’s estimated that 1 billion reais has been invested in sponsorships in Brazilian soccer
The biggest clubs are sponsored by betting companies

There are advocates on both sides: some want a total ban, while others argue that with a ban, people will continue to gamble "illegally"

But the reality is that there is extreme uncertainty for those who invest in Brazil, and that the government can change its mind at any moment and simply overhaul all the rules overnight

What do you think guys?

Gambling is one of those "sins" that are an easy target for politicians, a distraction from sky high murder rates or corruption inquiries going on in government. There are underlying issues though where it seems a large part of the population can become entrapped in a nasty cycle, which if you don't have much money in the first place is even worse and could cause bigger societal problems (like stealing or even starvation of people who rely on gamblers). It is a very difficult line to follow, where you should allow gambling as a fun recreational activity - it's no different than people spending money on other virtual game items - while trying not to make gambling adverts so prevalent because they make very high profits and can be the biggest paying sponsors in every place if they're allowed. There should be restrictions on advertising that minimize exposure to under 18's because you need to give the younger generation a chance and being bombarded by all these adverts can make it much harder to think clearly.

[Halifat]

Banning these online casinos is just a part of what should be done. Taking measures to limit access to illegal gambling services is another task. This is because illegal platforms will take advantage of the ban to prey on gamblers. In my view, limiting financial transactions to gambling platforms would have been more effective. Let there be a limit to the amount that citizens would transfer to casinos.

Banning a registered gambling sites will be one of the worst mistake the Brazilian government will make. Why should the government limit the money people will use to gamble like they are children? People should learn their lessons that gambling can not be used in making money and they should not be greedily look for money through gambling.

I get your point but we should understand with the Brazilian government, definitely there must be something wrong that lead then to take this kind of decision. I will assume they are facing a lot when it comes to gambling because just as you said, they did not stop it from the beginning because they thought that the people will learn from it, but unfortunately maybe they didn't learn any lesson and it is causing more harm than good, as we all know to be a leader is not an easy task, that is why we have to keep quiet sometimes and see what really happened when any government make a decision like this.

[Bigjoe33]

The Brazilian government is preparing a provisional measure to ban online gaming and restrict sports betting
It’s interesting that this comes not long after Brazil collected a lot of money from company licenses

In late 2024, the government began receiving the funds to issue the licenses, and the companies operated here legally,  each company had to pay 30 million reais for a 5-year license
It is estimated that the government received 12.2 billion reais (which is roughly $2.14 billion) plus 12% of the companies revenue

Look at the mess and the legal uncertainty in Brazil 

Furthermore, now that betting is legalized here, there’s still the issue of sponsorships. For example, it’s estimated that 1 billion reais has been invested in sponsorships in Brazilian soccer
The biggest clubs are sponsored by betting companies

There are advocates on both sides: some want a total ban, while others argue that with a ban, people will continue to gamble "illegally"

But the reality is that there is extreme uncertainty for those who invest in Brazil, and that the government can change its mind at any moment and simply overhaul all the rules overnight

What do you think guys?

What I think? I think it's a very bad one. Too bad to happen. It's like a chameleon, that changes it's dignified colours at any spot depending on it's location. This is really bad and should not happen, at least, till there legal licenses period empires.

We know they are trying to curb gambling habits and the negative effects on its citizens, but common, agreement is agreement. They reached an agreement and they should stick to the plan. There are better ways to do it. You can't even push gambling out of the society by force or just anyhow. Its always a gradual process.

I would suggest that the Brazilian government think about it carefully, maybe allow the gambling companies to keep operating, and then maybe hold a meeting with them and they both discuss how they can manage the situation where both parties will work together. They could have a target audience they want to prevent from illicit gambling. So there plans could work towards that direction. But stoping them just like that might make matters worse because people are already gambling, and this will label them bad before there very own citizens.