Ministry of Finance expands restrictions on gamblers and creates consultation for 'List of Debtors'.
The Prizes and Betting Secretariat of the Ministry of Finance announced changes to the restricted users module, a system that controls who can register on betting platforms. The meeting with representatives of industry associations took place this Monday (April 27). The initiative is part of the Desenrola 2.0 program , and the module will now consult information from the "List of Debtors," expanding the scope of restrictions.
Finance Minister Dario Durigan announced this Monday (27) that he has concluded negotiations with banks and will present the Desenrola 2.0 program to President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva this Tuesday (28) for official announcement later this week.
This measure is part of government guidelines aimed at protecting vulnerable groups, especially those who are indebted or in default. Gamblers who join debt renegotiation programs will be automatically added to the restricted gambling registry.
A financial institution will centralize this information and feed it into the SPA query API, integrated into the module. Those who join programs like 'Desenrola 2' will be prevented from registering on betting platforms for six months. Only after this period will individuals be able to register again on fixed-odds betting sites and apps.
The temporary restriction aims to prevent people in the process of financial recovery from further compromising their finances with gambling. The government is expected to officially announce the debt renegotiation program by the end of this week.
Subsequently, the publication of a regulatory act amending SPA/MF Ordinance No. 1.231/24 is expected. A supplementary regulatory instruction should also be issued, following the model of SPA/MF Regulatory Instructions No. 22 and No. 31. These rules will formalize the new impediment regulations.
Clarifications regarding the use of credit in betting.
Betting operators will have less than 30 days to make adjustments to the disqualification API, already integrated into their systems. There are indications that this deadline could be set at 15 days. The adjustments are necessary for the API to support the new disqualification code related to participants in debt renegotiation programs.
The SPA (Portuguese Football Federation) must clarify in the coming weeks that the prohibition established in SPA/MF Ordinance No. 615/24 covers additional credit modalities. The ban on the use of credit for fixed-odds betting should explicitly include PIX credit, PIX installments, and other forms that directly or indirectly allow the use of bank credit for betting.
The clarification will be formalized through sub-legal regulations. This expansion aims to close loopholes that would allow bettors to use borrowed funds to place bets. The measure reinforces the objective of preventing over-indebtedness caused by the use of credit in risky activities.
Implementation of the "Financial Self-Test"
Betting operators will be required to implement a new tool called the "Financial Self-Test." This instrument was developed by SPA in conjunction with FEBRABAN. Its objective is to assess the level of financial literacy among bettors.
The tool will classify users according to their test scores. The "Financial Self-Test" is based on FEBRABAN's Financial Health Index, adapted to the context of the betting sector. The tool should be incorporated into operators' digital environments, becoming part of the user experience on the platforms.
The expectation is that its regulation and implementation will occur in the first half of 2026. There is still no definition regarding the exact implementation schedule for the self-test. It is also not possible to measure, at this time, the level of friction that the mechanism may generate in the user experience.
It is unclear whether the application will be universal for all bettors or conditional on certain behavioral triggers.
New financial education obligations
New obligations and guidelines related to the financial education of gamblers should be established soon. The measures will include educational campaigns, communication actions, and social media initiatives focused on the topic. These requirements may be incorporated into future amendments to Ordinance SPA/MF No. 1.231/24.
The betting industry may be urged to strengthen self-exclusion mechanisms among its user base. Other communications focused on responsible gambling and financial education should also be intensified. The measures aim to create a safer environment for bettors, reducing the risk of excessive debt.
Barrier to bets
Finance Minister Dario Durigan said in interviews that the new version of the "Desenrola" program should include barrier rules for the creation of new debts through betting. One of the proposals would be a six-month limit on betting transactions by program beneficiaries.
"We are studying how to create incentives for clients who use Desenrola. Because it's no use resolving a debt if, immediately afterwards, the person gets into debt again with betting companies," Durigan told reporters after a meeting with the PT caucus in the Chamber of Deputies.
The federal government is set to launch the new Desenrola 2.0 program on May 1st, Labor Day. The program aims to facilitate negotiations between debtors and creditors, in an attempt to reduce the number of families that have a significant portion of their income committed to debt payments.
