Leo Dias criticizes the "Block no Tigrinho" campaign and says that artists "don't give a damn" about the people.

Journalist Leo Dias made statements about artists participating in the "Block no Tigrinho" campaign , an initiative by the 342 Artes group against betting houses. The statements were made last Wednesday (June 3rd) on the Band program "Melhor da Tarde". Dias questioned the sincerity of the celebrities involved in the mobilization.

The presenter argued that television networks are financially dependent on betting platforms. According to him, this money sustains the production of soap operas and other television content. Thiago Pasqualotto, who co-hosts the program with Dias, participated in the conversation. The information was initially released by Contigo.

The "Block no Tigrinho" campaign brings together names like Caetano Veloso, Chico Buarque, Gilberto Gil, Djavan, Marieta Severo, Julia Lemmertz, Letícia Sabatella, Alinne Moraes, Camila Pitanga, and Cláudia Abreu. The 342 Artes group organized the initiative with the goal of combating illegal gambling in Brazil.

During the program, Leo Dias stated: “All television networks depend on the Bets. The artists, to make their soap operas, need the money from the Bets because they are what sustain the television networks today.”

The journalist asked his colleague for permission before proceeding with his comments. "Another thing that's good to point out: it's clear that this campaign isn't... Can I say that? I'm going to say it," said Dias.

Pasqualotto replied: "Go ahead, you're the one who's going to pay for the lawsuit. I have nothing to do with it."

Leo Dias continued: “I’m going to talk because I’m going to pay. Here’s the thing: the government regulated betting. If the government hadn’t regulated it, betting would still exist. You know why? They operate outside the country. And then the money wouldn’t even go to Brazil. The money from betting is converted into income tax, which comes to Brazil. So everything is regulated. If the government didn’t want to regulate betting, it would all go to Curaçao.”

The presenter addressed the impact of betting platforms on the entertainment sector. He stated: “The issue is, and this is very clear, especially for us who talk about entertainment: the advent of betting has caused people to spend the money they used for entertainment on betting. Entertainment itself has lost its strength. The number of concerts has fallen, the number of people going to the theater has fallen, everything related to entertainment has fallen. Why? Instead of spending on concerts, parties, going out, people were spending on betting.”

Dias concluded his remarks with direct criticism of the artists involved in the campaign. “That’s the issue with the artists. Honestly? They couldn’t care less if the Brazilian people are going into debt or not. Addiction is dangerous, but nobody complains about beer. Everyone’s campaigning for beer now,” the journalist stated.

The statements were made in the studio of the show Melhor da Tarde. There is no information about reactions from the artists mentioned to Leo Dias' comments.