Sports betting is expected to fund treatment for gambling addicts in the Brazilian public health system (SUS).
Federal Deputy Ana Paula Lima (PT-SC) presented Bill 4.761/2026, which obliges sports betting companies to finance mental health actions in the Unified Health System (SUS) aimed at treating gambling addicts. The text was filed on Monday (July 22).
The project establishes the Sanitary Inspection Fee on Fixed-Odds Betting (TFS-Apostas), charged monthly on the revenue of authorized operators. The initial rate is 2%, with a floor of 1% and a ceiling of 6%, subject to periodic review by the Executive Branch based on a technical report from the SUS (Brazilian Public Health System).
All funds raised will be allocated to the National Health Fund (FNS), in a specific sub-account called "Sub-account for Addressing Gambling Disorder." The resources must be used exclusively for prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of people with gambling disorder; epidemiological surveillance; awareness campaigns; and training of health professionals to identify and clinically manage addiction.
Growing demand in the SUS (Brazilian Public Health System)
The Brazilian Unified Health System (SUS) recorded 10.553 consultations related to pathological gambling and compulsive betting between January 2018 and May 2025, a 104% increase during that period, according to data from the Ministry of Health. In March 2026, the Ministry launched a free, specific telehealth service for people with gambling-related problems, accessible through the Meu SUS Digital app, with an initial capacity of 600 consultations per month.
“If gambling can cause addiction, the companies that profit from this activity also need to help pay for treatment. It is not fair that families and the public health system alone bear the losses while the platforms keep the profits,” stated Ana Paula Lima.
The project's justification points out that, in the current distribution of betting revenues, the health sector receives only 1% of the 12% portion not allocated to operating agents, a percentage that, according to the legislator, bears no relation to the real costs imposed on the public system.
Transparency and penalties
The bill also requires operators to provide the Ministry of Health with annual aggregated and anonymized data on gamblers classified as high-risk for addiction. Furthermore, it provides for the inclusion of gambling disorder among the conditions subject to mandatory reporting for epidemiological surveillance purposes, while safeguarding the confidentiality of personal data.
Failure to comply with the obligations subjects the operating agents to the penalties provided for in Law No. 14.790/2023, without prejudice to other administrative, civil and criminal sanctions.
The proposal adds to the measures adopted by the Ministry of Finance to restrict betting advertising . The new rules stipulate that advertisements must display warnings such as "Gambling can cause addiction," "Gambling makes you lose money," and "Gambling is not an investment," in addition to prohibiting betting from being presented as a source of income or a solution to financial difficulties.
“Regulating advertising is fundamental to preventing new cases, but we also need to guarantee care for those who have already fallen ill. Our project holds the sector accountable for the impacts it produces and transforms part of the betting revenue into care, information, and protection of life,” declared Ana Paula Lima.
If approved, the text will come into effect on the date of publication, but the collection of the TFS-Apostas tax will only have a financial effect from the first day of the following fiscal year, respecting the minimum period of 90 days stipulated in the Federal Constitution.
