Lula postpones decision on sports betting and wants to hear from the public.
In an interview with SBT Brasil broadcast this Thursday (September 10), President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) stated that he will make a decision about the future of sports betting in Brazil based on consultations he held with civil society organizations, but refused to reveal what the decision will be.
“I listened to society, we noted everything they said, we've already mapped and systematized everything. Now, I'm going to make a decision based on what I've seen,” Lula declared during the program, conducted live from the Alvorada Palace by journalists Basília Rodrigues and Marina Demori. The interview aired from 20 PM to 20:30 PM and was rebroadcast on SBT News afterward.
The advisory process
In explaining his decision-making method on the subject, Lula described the polarization of the public debate — “close the betting sites, open the betting sites, punish someone” — and said he chose to consult with the different groups involved before taking a position. According to the president, representatives of those who criticize betting platforms were consulted, as well as people who have witnessed cases of debt and suicide related to betting.
“I called all the entities involved with these bets. The people who complained about the bets, the people who feel their families are being robbed, the people who know people who killed themselves because of betting debts. But I'm not going to make a decision alone. I'm not president of myself, I'm president of 215 million inhabitants,” said Lula.
The president stated that he had heard from about 10 or 11 people in this round of consultations. When asked what the decision would be, he denied any prediction; "Don't ask me what the decision is, because I'm not going to tell you."
Personal stance and critique of taxation
The interview with SBT reiterates a position that Lula had already publicly expressed at the meeting on September 1st, at the Palácio do Planalto, with civil society organizations. On that occasion, the president said he was personally in favor of banning betting in Brazil. "I think we have to make a more drastic decision. Because we don't even have demand-side inflation," he stated at the time.
At the same meeting, Lula also questioned the logic of using taxation as a tool to control gambling. The president's argument is that taxes only work as a disincentive when they reduce the profit of an activity; which, according to him, does not occur in the case of betting. "Many times, when we think as a state, we say we're going to collect taxes, thinking that we're going to make things more difficult. Taxes only make things more difficult when they hinder profits, but when it's a decision to legalize crime, they pay without a problem," declared the president, referring to companies in the sector.
Lula further added that many of these companies are not headquartered in Brazil and do not pay taxes to the Brazilian tax authorities; which would make taxation an even less effective instrument for regulating the sector.
Elections and government plan
The interview on SBT Brasil was also the platform chosen by Lula to discuss his government plan and his expectations for the first round of elections, scheduled for October 4th. The president is running for re-election representing the PT (Workers' Party).
The decision-making process regarding betting—consulting society, systematizing, and only then announcing—was presented by Lula himself as illustrative of how he intends to conduct his government if elected. The issue of betting, therefore, functioned both as a substantive theme and as a demonstration of method before the electorate.
Talks about the Bets: 15:56 and 16:46
