Durigan: Government doesn't depend on bets to balance the books.

Finance Minister Dario Durigan stated that the federal government does not depend on tax revenue from betting to balance its accounts. In an interview with Guilherme Amado's column on AmadoMundo, published this Monday (September 14th), he argued that the sector should be regulated with the same rigor applied to cigarettes.

Durigan made it clear, however, that he is not proposing a ban on betting in Brazil. The minister admitted that the debate about a possible prohibition of the activity should remain open in the coming years, but he did not take a position in favor of such a measure.

The statement is relevant in a context where the expansion of online sports betting is drawing criticism from public health experts and concerns about household debt. The minister's position signals that the government prioritizes regulation and tax equality, not market closure.

According to Durigan, the government has been conducting a review of the legislation on the sector since 2023. He said the changes were motivated by regulatory and equality concerns, not by fiscal necessity.

"It's not that I want to collect taxes because I need the money. I want to collect taxes for the sake of equality; if a company sells cars, it pays taxes; if it sells drinks, it pays taxes. If it's authorized to operate, it has to pay," the minister declared.

Restrictions already in effect

Among the measures already adopted by the government, Durigan cited the ban on gambling for beneficiaries of Bolsa Família and BPC (Continuous Benefit Payment), as well as for participants in Desenrola, a federal debt renegotiation program. The minister added that the self-exclusion mechanism for gambling platforms has already been activated by more than one million people.