Why should the State regulate sports betting?
This question demands an approach that goes back to the social role of the State, which is to trigger necessary actions for the broad and unrestricted promotion of the common good, considering fundamental aspects, such as the individual and collective rights of citizens.
Bearing this in mind, we can understand gaming, betting and lottery activities as social and collective practices (which go back to the innate human desire for competition and dispute based on luck), which, by their nature, can result in some undesirable effects – albeit on a small scale – for a part of the population involved.
With this, the essence of the State, in its character of collective social protection, is the reason and cause why this is the natural entity to promote proper control, supervision and inspection of gaming, with the aim of maintaining this activity in a healthy field for society as a whole.
Therefore, the State's regulatory practices emerge to maintain gaming as something of social/collective relevance. This, in turn, has the practical consequence of guaranteeing that financial resources will be generated for the benefit of the population, that gaming will have an eminently ludic character and will not replace any form of work – as well defined by what we know today as Responsible Gaming.
Additionally, it is through good state regulation that customers/players/consumers will have their rights assured to participate in games that are fair, reliable, and with integrity and that seek, in addition to entertainment, to generate resources for the entire community and, in essence, the common good.
Waldir Eustaquio Marques Jr.
President of CAIXA Loterias, former secretary of SECAP (Ministry of Economy).
