Finance Minister Fernando Haddad said that the government is preparing to block payment methods, restrict advertising and monitor CPF numbers for between 500 and 600 betting sites that did not have their license requests registered by Sigap before the stipulated deadline (August 20).
"It is necessary to clarify to the public that there was a legal order for the previous government to regulate betting sites. We had a very bad period when gambling grew without the State intervening to protect society. President Lula ordered us to take action”, said Haddad.
"Just as X went offline, these companies should also go offline, due to a lack of compliance with the legislation approved by the National Congress," he said during an interview with Jornal da CBN. "If you have money in a betting house, ask for a refund now."
Haddad also said that the government is preparing to block payment methods such as credit cards and Bolsa Família cards on betting sites. In addition, the ministry should monitor the evolution of prizes by CPF (Individual Taxpayer Registry) of each bettor.
"Those who bet a lot and win little are psychologically dependent, those who bet a little and win a lot are generally laundering money."
The minister said that he should meet with entities in the sector on Tuesday to discuss the issue of advertising for betting, which is allegedly "out of control".
When asked about the proposal discussed by experts to show gamblers how much money they have already lost, Haddad went further, stating that, in certain cases, family members should also have access to this information.
"Even in the case of an adult with means, is it only he or she who needs to know how much money they have lost," he said.
"In the same way that I could set up my phone to receive this information, I could also register my spouse's phone number. There are people who lose thousands of reais. How can you leave your family without the proper warning?"
Source: Folha
