Brazil's Supreme Court (STF) begins debate on the impacts of online gambling.

The Supreme Federal Court (STF) began hearing, on Monday morning (11), academics, representatives of the federal government and civil society who are participating in the public hearing on the impacts of online betting (bets) in Brazil. The discussion was convened by Minister Luiz Fux, rapporteur of the Direct Action of Unconstitutionality (ADI) 7721 , which deals with the request for unconstitutionality of the Bets Law (Law 14.790/2023).

In his opening remarks, Minister Luiz Fux highlighted that the public hearing aims to ensure a pluralistic and participatory judicial decision, considering different perspectives from civil society to enrich the regulatory debate. He also noted that the meeting focuses on mental health, economic impacts, money laundering, transparency, advertising, and the property rights of bettors. "This decision has several consequences in various fields, from psychology to economics. Therefore, the idea is to have various viewpoints in this public hearing," said the rapporteur.

The Minister of Human Rights and Citizenship, Macaé Evaristo, observed that the issue of gambling addiction is not new, but it has gained momentum with the popularization of the internet. She argued that games are designed to exploit human psychological vulnerabilities in an addictive cycle. She emphasized that the ease of access to online games functions like a casino in each person's pocket, leading to disastrous consequences for families.

The Minister of the Attorney General's Office (AGU), Jorge Messias, addressed the importance of broadening the debate on the consequences of betting. He recalled that the public debate on fixed-odds betting intensified after a technical note from the Central Bank revealed monthly transfer amounts of R$ 18 to R$ 21 billion, impacting social classes D and E.

It is estimated that 40% of gamblers belong to these classes, with a significant increase in the family budget allocated to gambling, strongly affecting low-income families, including millions of beneficiaries of the Bolsa Família program.

Representing the Attorney General's Office, Deputy Attorney General Luiz Augusto Lima addressed the ease of financial flow for online gambling. He highlighted the need to act on measures that block the use of social program funds for gambling, which can be done through the implementation of restrictions by the Central Bank and the Federal Public Prosecutor's Office, which has been monitoring the situation and assessing the risks to consumers. According to him, the immediate focus should be on swift actions to mitigate negative impacts and contribute to proper regulation.

The public hearing takes place throughout this Monday (11) and on the morning of this Tuesday (12) and is being broadcast live on TV Justiça, Rádio Justiça and the STF channel on YouTube.

Check here for the schedule and list of exhibitors . Click here to see photos from the public hearing . ( With information from the STF )