Councillor Alberto Heck presented a proposal urging the local executive to develop educational and preventive activities on the risks of online betting and gambling platforms in Santa Cruz do Sul's municipal elementary schools.
The proposal was approved unanimously during a City Council session
Heck's initiative calls for coordination between the municipal Education, Health and Social Development secretariats to raise awareness among children and adolescents about the financial, behavioral and social risks tied to online betting.
“Easy access to cell phones and aggressive advertising have attracted an increasingly younger audience with the false illusion of easy money,” he added.
Under the proposal, the content would be woven into existing subjects, such as math and science, discussing probability and digital dependency, rather than requiring a new class or added curriculum load.
The initiative also includes outreach to families, providing guidance and informational materials to help parents recognize warning signs. Heck said coordinated action across education, health and social services could strengthen both prevention and access to specialized support for cases that need it, aiming to protect children and adolescents and limit broader impacts on families and the community.
“We are counting on the support of our fellow council members to approve this proposal and forward it to the Executive branch!,” concluded Heck.
Recently, similar measures have emerged elsewhere in Brazil: the Manaus City Council approved a bill establishing a Municipal Week for Confronting Betting and Games of Chance Addiction, aimed at young people still in school.
At the federal level, Brazil's Secretariat of Prizes and Bets (SPA) fined Blaze BR2.3m ($451,000) over advertising material featuring children and adolescents targeted at audiences under 18.
Four of Brazil's Presidential candidates propose banning betting platforms without explaining how the government would replace the sector's tax revenue
