Last week, Brazil's Finance Minister Dario Durigan expressed his concerns regarding the rapid growth of betting companies in the country. He advocated for increased taxation and stricter advertising regulations to manage this expansion. Durigan recalled that President Lula had previously pushed for a ban on betting, emphasizing the need for enhanced regulation. "I fear that a general ban will lead to an illicit market," he remarked. During an interview with UOL News, he stated, "We need to treat bets the same way we treat cigarettes. As it is bad for health and it is bad for Brazilians' pockets, we have to tighten regulations."
Durigan pointed out that various sectors of the economy have started to rely heavily on betting companies. He highlighted how previous governments respected the influence of these companies in the national economy. "It’s not enough for these companies to enter the country and not obey Brazilian rules," he asserted. He added that the government has been successful in strengthening regulations in this area. Durigan dismissed suggestions that these regulatory measures were introduced solely to boost revenue; rather, he stated they are necessary for proper regulation. "Betting companies pay taxes not because the government wants to collect revenue, but because we recognize that they have a presence in the Brazilian economy and have to start contributing to the country," he explained.
The minister categorized betting as a significant social issue and asserted the necessity for stringent regulation to counter the growth of illegal betting. "There is no secrecy whatsoever," he remarked about the regulation process. When asked about the refusal of a Freedom of Information Act request concerning data on betting companies, he clarified that the request's requirements involved personal data, prompting the denial of access. He assured that issues are handled transparently. "What I asked is that, instead of receiving individual requests, they take all the cases that have already passed through the department and handle them one at a time. We ask the CGU (Comptroller General of the Union) to support us and we will proactively disclose the data," he emphasized.
