ANJL highlights need for responsible gaming in Brazil

Shirley Pulis Xerxen June 18, 2024

At the seminar “The Online Betting Market in Brazil: Paths to Responsible Governance,” held by the Brazilian Institute of Education, Development, and Research (IDP) last week in Brasília, the National Association of Games and Lotteries (ANJL) emphasised that betting houses wishing to operate under regulation are aware of the need for best practices to ensure honest and responsible gaming in Brazil.

This point was highlighted by ANJL President Plínio Lemos Jorge in response to concerns raised by other speakers regarding issues such as irregular advertising targeted at children and adolescents, and the encouragement of addiction and debt.

“Betting houses, for example, have never accepted credit cards. This is a concern of the sector. There isn’t a single betting house that accepts them. We have PIX, which is a genuinely Brazilian payment method. Underage betting? We don’t have that either. We are making history with great responsibility, trying to make this market a safe industry. Our mission, as an association, is to make this market the fairest and most transparent for both operators and bettors,” said Plínio.

Mental and financial concerns

In the same panel, with the theme “A Regulatory Agenda for Responsible Gaming,” the Secretary of Prizes and Bets of the Ministry of Finance, Regis Dudena, emphasised the importance of regulating the sector, which is still in progress, to prevent harmful practices from contaminating the regulated environment.

“The concerns have two health fronts: the first from a mental health perspective, and the second from a financial health perspective. And usually, they are associated. What seems important to me is to understand that this is an exception, although it should be handled very carefully,” said Dudena, adding that by July, the Ministry of Finance will publish ordinances on these topics, one of them in conjunction with the Ministry of Health.

Upcoming regulations

“These ordinances will take care of those who, in their entertainment, want to allocate part of their assets to enjoy a specific activity namely fixed-odds betting. As long as this is entertainment, a conscious choice, we agree with this activity. When it stops being a conscious choice, something healthy for the bettor’s life, it is not in the interest of the State, nor even of the operators themselves, for this person to continue participating in this system,” added the secretary.

Plínio corroborated Regis’s assessment, highlighting that gambling addiction is a concern for betting houses, although statistics show that, in general, addiction affects less than 1% of bettors. Regarding advertising, ANJL president noted that the National Advertising Self-Regulation Council (Conar) has been working with the sector to define guidelines. At the beginning of this year, with contributions from ANJL, the organisation launched Annex X of the Brazilian Code of Advertising Self-Regulation, which set rules for betting advertising in Brazil.

“In this context, the illegal market is a significant concern for us. These houses do promote such things, attracting minors and encouraging credit… serious houses do not. Our commitment is to a safe and transparent market where people can have fun, and bettors are respected. Our desire is that this market can teach people how to enjoy themselves, as happens in the United States, France, and other countries,” he stated.

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