Cubatão's City Council approved the creation a program to prevent the impacts of online sports betting and address gambling addiction.
Authored by councillor Jair do Bar, Bill 178/2025 was approved in its second reading, and now goes to Mayor Cesar Nascimento for sanction.
The bill establishes a permanent educational campaign raising awareness of the risks and harms associated with betting dependency and improper use of online gambling platforms.
It also provides for prevention and treatment measures, including harm-reduction support for people whose finances have already been compromised by sports betting, aiming to intervene before financial harm deepens further.
Do Bar framed the bill as a response to the scale of the problem locally, pointing to its links to mental health issues, suicide and household financial strain as justification for municipal action.
"Given the seriousness of the problem, this bill is a necessary step to protect mental health, reduce the social impacts of this addiction, and promote the building of a healthier, fairer, and more conscious society, " he said.
Cubatão's move adds to a growing list of municipal and federal responses to gambling-related harm across Brazil: recently, the municipality of Ribeirão Preto introduced free psychological support for residents facing betting and gambling problems, joining a small but expanding group of cities rolling out local support services.
At the federal level, Brazil's Ministry of Health operates a free telehealth line for people affected by gambling, alongside a dedicated Care Guide for People with Gambling-Related Problems, which sets out protocols for reception, monitoring and treatment within the national public healthcare system.
On the industry side, Superbet has also launched a "Superlinha" in Brazil, a 24/7 phone and WhatsApp line offering gambling addiction support
