SPA leader confirms ban on betting with social welfare in Brazil

Regis Dudena, the head of the Secretariat of Prizes and Bets (SPA), has announced a definitive ban on gambling participation for recipients of social welfare programs in Brazil.

In an exclusive interview with Estadão, Dudena confirmed that individuals benefiting from programs such as Bolsa Família and the Continuous Benefit Payment (BPC) will be prohibited from placing bets in Brazil.

This announcement follows a significant ruling from the Supreme Federal Court in November, which upheld an emergency measure by Minister Luis Fux that restricts gambling activities involving social welfare funds.

The SPA is expected to conduct a thorough legal review of this measure prior to the formal issuance of an ordinance that will officially implement the ban.

“We are working on a regulatory framework to comply with the Supreme Court’s directive, specifically targeting beneficiaries of Bolsa Família and BPC,” Dudena explained to Estadão. “This framework is currently under final review to ensure it aligns with the Court’s decision.”

Dudena also emphasized that enforcing this ban may pose significant challenges, potentially affecting approximately 20 million individuals in Brazil.

Recent data from the Central Bank of Brazil revealed that 20% of the funds disbursed through the Bolsa Família program in August were allocated to online gambling activities.

The National Secretariat of Citizen Income (Senarc) has previously indicated that only 1% of families utilizing Bolsa Família engage with the specific welfare card for transactions. The vast majority—99%—access their benefits through online accounts, which may also include income from employment and other sources.

“The Supreme Court mandates us to impose this restriction, and we are committed to identifying the most effective means to comply,” Dudena stated.

“Simply blocking the card is not a viable option. Beneficiaries rarely receive funds solely on a Bolsa Família card. Typically, payments are deposited into an account linked to a debit card. Additionally, our regulations already disallow the unlinked Bolsa Família card.”

Instead, the SPA plans to restrict all beneficiaries from Bolsa Família and BPC from engaging in betting activities by utilizing their Individual Taxpayer Registration (CPF) numbers.

SPA to Publish Quarterly Reports on Brazil’s Betting Landscape

A pivotal topic in the early months of Brazil’s regulated betting market has been the frequency and manner in which the regulatory body will disclose industry performance metrics.

Dudena stated that the SPA will provide quarterly reports, leveraging insights gathered from operators in conjunction with the Betting Management System (Sigap).

“We are diligently compiling this data,” Dudena elaborated. “Our system, Sigap, is designed to receive daily operational reports from all licensed companies. The agents’ systems will communicate with Sigap on a daily basis, detailing registered bettors, total bets placed, amounts won, and losses incurred.”

“Our objective is to publish comprehensive reports that not only present these findings but also offer an overview of the first results to stakeholders and the public.”

Furthermore, the SPA is anticipated to disclose its strategic agenda for the 2025-26 biennium shortly, coinciding with recent claims from Andre Gelfi, CEO of the Brazilian Institute of Responsible Gaming (IBJR), that the illegal betting market continues to capture 60% of the monthly gross gaming revenue (GGR).

Dudena underscored that the SPA’s initiatives represent a continuous cycle of assessment and refinement, asserting that the current regulatory framework is markedly improving restrictions on underage gambling.

“Within the regulated market, we are achieving near-perfect compliance in preventing minors from accessing betting platforms,” Dudena concluded.