The reaction of betting companies to the government's plans to increase taxation in the sector.

The betting industry has taken to the streets against the provisional measure that increases the tax on gross betting revenue from 12% to 18%. Representatives of the main companies, who have an active lobby in Brasília, have been lobbying congressional offices to try to overturn the measure, reports Guilherme Amado's column on the Platô website.

Major betting companies believe that the provisional measure, enacted to increase revenue, could have the opposite effect: reducing formal activity in the sector, increasing the influence of pirate platforms, and opening up opportunities for tax evasion. Currently, according to research by the Locomotiva Institute, 52% of bets in Brazil are already placed illegally.

The movement involves not only deputies and senators, but also mobilization among bettors. Companies claim that the change will inevitably reduce the odds offered to players. Therefore, the companies do not rule out the idea of ​​running advertisements pointing to the Provisional Measure as the cause of a reduction in odds, should the taxation pass in Congress.

The industry's unease with the government also includes discussions about restricting advertising in the sector and what is perceived as a lack of action against unfair competition.