Dra. Eudócia Caldas, a Senator representing the Liberal Party in Brazil, has introduced a bill that would allow nonprofit healthcare institutions to operate fixed-odds betting platforms.
The proposal would authorize philanthropic hospitals, health-focused social organizations, charitable entities and humanitarian institutions that provide services to Brazil’s public health system (SUS) to run betting operations.
Under the draft legislation, the authorization would be granted free of charge. The bill also requires that all net revenue generated from betting activities be directed exclusively toward healthcare-related expenses.
According to the proposal, eligible spending would include the purchase of medicines, acquisition of medical equipment, maintenance of healthcare services and improvements to hospital infrastructure.
The bill also prohibits the distribution of profits and requires institutions to maintain separate accounting for betting operations in order to ensure transparency and proper financial oversight.
In the proposal’s justification, the Senator said the measure aims to create an additional funding source for healthcare providers that support the SUS, many of which face ongoing financial pressures.
Caldas also cited international examples where gambling revenue contributes to social programs, including the National Lottery in the United Kingdom, which directs a portion of proceeds to community and charitable causes.
Also among the mentioned cases was the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation in Canada, whose profits support areas such as healthcare, education and infrastructure.
Brazil’s market has also prompted growing debate around gambling-related harm, with public health experts and policymakers such as the President monitoring the social impact of the sector.
Against this backdrop, proposals to broaden participation in betting operations, even for social or charitable purposes, may prove controversial among some stakeholders, particularly as authorities continue to assess the scale of problem gambling in the country.
Earlier this year, the Government launched a free telehealth service aimed at supporting individuals experiencing gambling-related harm.
Brazil’s Ministry of Health previously launched a national guide aimed at helping healthcare professionals identify and respond to problem gambling cases
