Brazilian Congressman Pinheirinho, from Minas Gerais, has introduced a bill proposing that 50% of tax revenue generated by fixed-odds betting operators be redirected to philanthropic hospitals and Santa Casas operating within Brazil’s public healthcare network.
The proposal, filed as Bill 2.476/2026, seeks to amend Law 13.756/2018, which governs the distribution of revenue generated by betting activities in the country.
Under the text, the funds would be allocated according to criteria including regional equality, hospital capacity, healthcare output and performance indicators linked to Brazil’s Unified Health System (SUS).
Priority would be given to institutions that predominantly serve public healthcare patients, operate in underserved regions or face financial instability.
The bill also establishes that resources could only be used for healthcare-related purposes, including medical supplies, medicines, infrastructure maintenance and hospital modernization.
According to the proposal, the Federal Government would have 90 days to regulate implementation rules if the legislation is approved.
In the justification attached to the project, Pinheirinho argued the measure aims to correct what he described as a “relevant distributive distortion” in Brazil’s current betting revenue allocation model while reinforcing “one of the essential pillars” of the country’s public healthcare system.
The congressman cited data from the National Confederation of Philanthropic Hospitals and Santa Casas claiming that approximately 70% of such institutions currently operate with recurring deficits, while the sector’s accumulated debt has surpassed BR20bn ($4bn).
At the same time, the proposal highlights estimates suggesting Brazil’s betting market could generate more than BR100bn annually, with public tax collection potentially exceeding BR12bn per year.
The project arrives amid growing political debate in Brazil over how betting-related impact can affect the elderly population.
Brazil has become the world’s fifth-largest regulated betting market, with estimated sector revenue reaching $4.14bn in 2025
