Online betting and Bolsa Família: the new rules under discussion
The growth of online sports betting in Brazil has raised a new concern for the government and the National Congress: how to prevent beneficiaries of the Bolsa Família Programme from using this money to gamble?
This debate intensified after the Central Bank released a report showing that, in August 2024, around R$ 3 billion ($530K) were moved into betting by individuals receiving Bolsa Família. This number was contested, and the Central Bank itself admitted that there might be errors in the analysis. Still, the impact of the information was enough to raise an alert.
As a result, new proposals have emerged to restrict Bolsa Família beneficiaries’ access to online betting. Two bills have already been presented in Congress, and the federal government is also exploring control measures. But do these measures actually work? And what are the practical challenges?
What does Deputy Beto Richa’s bill propose?
Deputy Beto Richa (PSDB-PR) presented Bill 1055/2025, which proposes prohibiting Bolsa Família beneficiaries from placing bets online. To ensure this rule is followed, the bill suggests creating an updated list of individuals registered in the programme.
Betting operators would be required to consult this list before approving any bet. If the player’s name appears on it, they would not be able to proceed with the transaction.
The deputy argues that this measure is necessary to ensure that Bolsa Família funds are used for what truly matters: food, housing, and healthcare. According to him, allowing this resource to be spent on betting could jeopardise the financial security of the families receiving it.
Furthermore, the legislator argues that Bolsa Família is not just a financial benefit but a social programme that demands commitments from beneficiaries. This includes keeping children in school, complying with vaccination schedules, and ensuring family health monitoring. He believes that prohibiting the use of the benefit in betting reinforces this commitment.
Another point raised by Richa is that the prohibition would also have an educational effect. According to him, this restriction would help encourage more responsible money habits, preventing vulnerable families from gambling.
Another bill had already suggested restrictions
Deputy Reginaldo Lopes (PT-MG) had already presented a similar proposal in September 2024. Bill 3.610/2024 does not directly prohibit Bolsa Família beneficiaries from betting. Instead, it prevents betting houses from accepting money from bank accounts linked to the programme.
If any betting operator fails to comply with this rule, they could face a fine. The fine could range from 0.1% to 20% of the company’s revenue, potentially exceeding R$ 2 billion ($353K) in the most severe cases.
This bill aims to prevent Bolsa Família money from being directly transferred to betting. However, critics point out that many players could simply transfer the funds to another account before betting, making enforcement difficult.
Federal Government measures
In addition to the bills, the federal government is also studying ways to prevent Bolsa Família funds from being used in betting. Some of the proposals under review include:
- Blocking beneficiaries’ CPF numbers: This measure would prevent those registered in Bolsa Família from creating accounts on betting sites.
- Prohibiting the use of Bolsa Família cards to make payments on betting websites.
These suggestions have been presented to the Tribunal de Contas da União (TCU), which is evaluating the feasibility of the restrictions.
In November 2024, the Supreme Federal Court (STF) also joined the debate and ruled that the government should implement measures to prevent Bolsa Família resources from being used in online betting.
The challenges of enforcement
Despite the proposals, there are many challenges in ensuring that this prohibition works in practice.
One of the main issues is that nothing prevents a beneficiary from using someone else’s bank account to place a bet. If the rule passes, many players could simply transfer the money to a relative or friend before betting, making it difficult for betting companies to trace the origin of the funds.
Another issue is that there are various ways to transfer money, such as digital wallets, prepaid cards, and cryptocurrencies, which can be used to bypass the restrictions.
Furthermore, some people criticise the proposal, arguing that the state should not interfere with the use of Bolsa Família money. For these critics, it should be up to the families themselves to decide how to spend the benefit.
On the other hand, proponents of the prohibition argue that Bolsa Família is public money meant for basic needs, and allowing it to be used for betting goes against the programme’s purpose.
So, what now?
The bills presented still need to be analysed and voted on in the Chamber of Deputies. If approved, they will go to the Senate before becoming law. In the meantime, the federal government can adopt some of the suggested measures without needing Congressional approval.
What is clear is that this topic will continue to generate much debate. After all, how can we balance the freedom of beneficiaries to use the money as they wish with the need to protect these resources so they are used correctly?
Online betting is a growing sector in Brazil, and the government is increasingly paying attention to this market. The question now is how effective the new rules will be and whether they will succeed in preventing Bolsa Família money from ending up in betting houses.
This article was first published in Portuguese on 19 March 2025.
