Brazil’s Finance Minister Dario Durigan has stated that betting is affecting household finances, as the Federal Government introduces a debt renegotiation program that restricts access to gambling platforms.
“The fact is that there is, yes, even in the study that shows the lowest impact of betting, there is, indeed, an income commitment from people with betting,” stated Durigan.
The comments come alongside the launch of the Desenrola 2.0 program, which includes a 12-month ban on betting platform access for participants who opt to renegotiate their debts.
“In this model of encouraging more sustainable credit, the ideal is that a person who says they are in debt, and therefore needs help to renegotiate it, does not commit their income to gambling,” Durigan explained the rationale behind the restriction.
“There are already several studies on this. Studies from the Central Bank, from academia and from the Ministry of Finance.”
While acknowledging that estimates vary, the Minister reiterated that the direction is clear: “There is a difference in how much personal debt is committed and how much impact there is on consumption, but the fact is that there is, yes, an income commitment.”
The restriction forms part of a wider policy approach that connects betting regulation with financial stability, particularly as authorities seek to reduce default rates and improve credit conditions.
Durigan also reinforced the logic behind linking access to credit and gambling behavior: “Whoever is going to take on new credit cannot take on new credit to gamble.”
Industry body ANJL said the measure is well-intentioned but warned that illegal betting platforms remain widely accessible, potentially limiting its effectiveness
