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The Minister of Health of Brazil, Alexandre Padilha, has called for increased regulation of online gambling platforms advertising in Brazil, thereby emphasizing the increasingly stringent attitude of the government towards this industry.
Commenting on a radio show called Alô Alô Brasil, Padilha made a comparison between the development pace of the online betting business and the historical development path followed by the tobacco industry in Brazil.
Public Health Concerns
“Online gambling for me is an issue that is now similar to addiction related to cigarettes, as they used advertising available to children, advertising related to sports. Formula One racing is entirely supported by tobacco companies.” Such a statement by the minister reveals the concerns of the government regarding the negative impact of betting advertising on people.
Moreover, Padilha recalled the success achieved by the authorities when tackling the issue of smoking, saying: “It is a battle that we have fought, and we reduced the number of smokers.”
Measures and Protective Policies
In response to such statements, the authorities of the state have initiated a number of preventive measures. For example, betting ads have been suspended from addressing minors. Moreover, there are certain services aimed at helping those affected by gambling issues.
Among them, there is a free public healthcare service offering patients various types of treatment for addictive behavior, which can include occupational and psychological therapy.
Moreover, a self-exclusion system has been launched to help individuals exclude themselves from access to any gambling sites approved by the Ministry of Finance of Brazil.
Similarity with the President’s Policy
The current position adopted by the Minister of Health is consistent with the views of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who also criticizes online betting. Specifically, Lula stated that, if the decision were up to him, all forms of betting activities in the country would be banned. However, this cannot be done without the approval of the legislative branch of power.
To ensure maximum safety for minors, the government also adopted new legislation, namely, the ECA Digital. This document establishes the obligation of online platforms to perform age verification procedures. Moreover, gambling providers should also be able to protect user information from leakage. The presence of illegal content on the website is grounds for its immediate shutdown.
Differing Opinions of Regulators
On the other hand, it is worth noting the opposition of Daniele Correa Cardoso in the matter of introducing limits on advertising and sponsorship from authorized platforms.
In particular, she believes that advertising campaigns play an important role in distinguishing legal gambling platforms from illegal ones. The minister said: “The differentiation between authorized and unauthorized operators is currently a crucial factor for this market. Consequently, the effect that the limitation of visibility will have on directing users towards the regulated environment needs to be considered.”
Thus, the discussion around gambling advertisements demonstrates increased regulation by the Brazilian government in this regard.
Source: iGaming Brasil
