Finance Minister proposes regulating betting like cigarettes to discourage gambling.

Finance Minister Dario Durigan argued on Friday (24) that the government should expand the regulation and taxation of sports betting houses to discourage the use of these services by the population. The statement was made during an event promoted by XP Investimentos, in São Paulo.

Durigan proposed treating betting with the same regulatory rigor applied to cigarettes, requiring companies to pay a licensing fee and report all bets to the government. This measure would allow for the identification of habitual gamblers, defined as those who bet frequently and continuously, and the development of actions to discourage these individuals from gambling.

“We have to treat gambling the same way we treat cigarettes. We have to deal with it through control. The companies that operate have to pay a fee and report all bets to the government. So that we can reach the Ministry of Health and say that we have habitual gamblers in the country. Are we going to work to get these people to stop gambling?” said Durigan.

The minister also justified the increase in the tax burden on betting. "We are increasing the tax [on betting] because it is fair, it is due, and it is a disincentive to a mechanism that disrupts people's lives," he stated.

Access restrictions for vulnerable groups

Durigan reiterated that access to betting platforms is already prohibited for people in situations of financial vulnerability. Beneficiaries of Bolsa Família and the Continuous Benefit Payment (BPC) are prohibited from betting. The same applies to those who resorted to the Desenrola program to renegotiate debts with a discount.

"Those who receive social benefits today cannot gamble. Those who receive Bolsa Família, BPC, cannot gamble. Those who claim to be in debt and go to Desenrola to get a discount and pay their debt in installments, also cannot gamble," he declared. The minister added that the government is also working to reduce betting advertising in the country.

Debt and use of credit

When discussing the high level of indebtedness among Brazilian families, Durigan argued that the government and the financial system should develop mechanisms to encourage or restrict credit access based on each consumer's financial profile.

"If we already know that a certain consumer has five credit cards and is in arrears, how can we approve yet another card? We should think about how to use our financial intelligence to encourage or discourage borrowing," said the minister.

According to Durigan, a large portion of those in debt took out loans during the pandemic and were unable to manage these obligations. Data analyzed by the government indicates that credit cards are the main instrument associated with indebtedness. "And when we analyze this data, credit cards are the main element impacting people's lives," he stated. The government, through the Desenrola program, has been encouraging the exchange of high-interest debts for loans with lower rates.

Fiscal targets and external environment

The minister reaffirmed the government's commitment to balancing public accounts. According to him, the National Treasury projects that public debt will stabilize between 2029 and 2030. For the year following publication, the goal is to achieve a surplus of 0,5% of GDP, meaning revenues exceeding expenses.

"The projection is that we will have a 0,5% surplus [revenues greater than expenses] next year. I would like to do more, perhaps with the increase in oil prices and eventually reducing the subsidies we have been providing," he stated.

Durigan acknowledged that the path requires continuous effort. “Is it difficult? Yes, it is difficult. But we will continue working to achieve the trajectories we have set. […] This will require fiscal discipline, it will require containing mandatory spending, it will require adjustments to the fiscal rules we have today, and we will continue in this process,” he concluded.

The minister pointed out that the government still faces uncertainties in the external environment, including the United States' interest rate policy, the war in Iran, and the tariffs announced by US President Donald Trump.