Senate debate exposes division over bill restricting betting advertising.
A public hearing in the Senate addressed this Tuesday (1st) the impacts of betting on the mental health of bettors and the economy of families. The debate exposed the division between government representatives and the betting sector regarding PL 2.470/2026 , a bill that restricts advertising and sponsorship of this type of online betting.
The hearing was promoted by the Senate Science and Technology Committee (CCT) with the aim of discussing this project, which may receive a preliminary report as early as this Wednesday (2).
Bill 2.470/2026 also establishes measures to protect vulnerable groups and classifies the risks associated with different types of games, among other measures.
The author of the proposal is Senator Damares Alves (Republicanos-DF). The rapporteur for the matter is Senator Alessandro Vieira (MDB-SE). He emphasizes that voting on this matter is urgent for the country.
"It is clear and evident that we have a lot to discuss and work on regarding this, but the expectation is that we can present a first draft of the report tomorrow [Wednesday] so that this project can move forward," Alessandro stated.
According to Damares Alves, the betting sites use a "romanticized" terminology when presenting themselves to users.
— They present it in such a romantic way: “Responsible gaming” [an idea used to recommend the conscious use of betting platforms]. It's not responsible gaming; it's gambling, it's responsible loss — criticized the senator, adding that the term “responsible gaming” should be replaced by “responsible loss”.
Public health
Representing the Ministry of Health, Marcelo Kimati Dias reported that approximately 25 million Brazilians gambled on legalized betting platforms last year. He stated that a portion of these users developed gambling-related disorders.
Dias, who is the director of the Department of Mental Health, Alcohol and Other Drugs at that ministry, highlighted that people with gambling problems have up to 15 times greater risk of suicide than the general population.
— From a scale perspective, it's a much larger public health problem that develops very rapidly.
He also reported that public healthcare services related to gambling and betting increased by 140% between 2018 and 2025. According to him, the social profile of the population affected by these problems is predominantly composed of young, black people with low incomes and residents of the Northeast Region.
Cost
Francisco Cordeiro, national consultant for the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), cited a survey by that institution on the cost of bets for the country.
"A study we conducted, published last December, demonstrates that comparing what the sector collected with what is estimated as the social cost of betting means that, for every real the State collects, the country spends at least around R$ 4 to deal with the damage," Cordeiro pointed out.
Daniel Amaral Nunes Carnaúba, representing the Ministry of Justice, advocated for strengthening regulation in the sector. He is the director of the Consumer Protection Department within that ministry.
Carnaúba pointed out that the department maintains administrative processes to investigate irregular advertising of betting, digital influencers, and companies linked to the illegal market in the sector.
"Today, betting is the main source of funding for sporting events. But the question we have to ask is: at what cost? It's the cost of where this money is coming from (...), indebting families, causing suicides, and making consumers lose all their assets," he warned.
Gaming section
Representative of the Brazilian Gaming Institute, Carlos Lima, cited a study by LCA Consultoria which, according to him, indicates that the indebtedness of the Brazilian population stems from other factors, such as the purchase of cell phones, streaming services, and the consumption of alcoholic beverages. He stressed that gambling is last on the list presented by the research.
Furthermore, he highlighted the advantages offered by the regulated betting market.
— It is a sector that today represents R$ 9,6 billion in revenue for the country and generates more than 15,5 direct and indirect jobs. It is a sector that contributes to social programs such as sports, health services, and so on (...). And it is a sector that has a gross revenue of R$ 35 billion.
The CEO of the Brazilian Institute for Responsible Gaming (IBJR), Carlos Lima, argued that the main challenge for the sector is combating clandestine platforms. He noted that the regulated market has identity verification mechanisms, betting limits, and protection tools that do not exist on illegal betting platforms.
government measures
Marcelo Kimati Dias pointed out that the Ministry of Health developed the Psychosocial Care Network, which provides information on the risks of gambling and a care pathway specifically for people with gambling problems.
He pointed out that only 1% of the revenue from betting is passed on to the Ministry of Health.
Representative of the Ministry of Finance, Andiara Maria Braga Maranhão, highlighted that the federal government launched the Centralized Self-Exclusion Platform in December , which allows bettors to block their own access to authorized platforms in the country.
According to Andiara, who is the general coordinator of Responsible Gaming Monitoring at the Prizes and Betting Secretariat of the Ministry of Finance, more than one million people have already used the tool.
She also emphasized that current legislation prohibits the participation of minors under 18 years of age in these games and establishes rules for advertising, customer service, and awareness of the risks of gambling.
The debate also included the participation of the Director of Institutional Relations of the Institute for Health Policy Studies (IEPS), Rebeca dos Santos Freitas; and the representative of Data Privacy Brazil, Carla Cristina Santos Rodrigues.
