Brazil President Luis Inácio Lula da Silva once again criticised the online gambling industry in an interview with TV Brasil’s Sem Censura (Uncensored) show.
Speaking on the Brazilian government’s state-run network, the Workers’ Party leader stated that the decision is not solely up to him. “If it were up to the president, I would have said this during the campaign. I am in favour of shutting down all those betting sites that are not providing any useful service to this country.”
Regarding his signing of the law regulating sports betting and including online gambling, Lula said that if he were to veto any part of the bill passed by Congress, the veto would likely be overturned.
‘I don’t own Brazil‘
“It’s not up to me; I don’t own Brazil. Just as I say that [Donald] Trump doesn’t own the world, I don’t own Brazil. I am the President of the Republic. I am part of a tripartite system of institutions that governs the country. There is the National Congress and there is the judiciary,” he said.
President Lula embraced the campaign rhetoric of ending online betting in Brazil as a way to appeal to more conservative voters, including evangelicals. His speeches on household debt always point to online betting as the culprit. He has never acknowledged that high interest rates are responsible for the rise in debt.
Advertising restrictions
The president stated on the show that the government had managed to shut down more than 90% of illegal betting operations. However, he did not explain why 50% of the market remains underground.
Regarding the regulation of betting advertising, Lula said that betting platforms should be treated on an equal footing with other sectors. “Everyone must be treated equally,” Lula said. “What is illegal in everyday life must also be illegal in any other context.”
Faced with the difficulty of shutting down the industry, President Lula has criticised online gambling and stated that illegal operators must be stopped. “You must know which betting sites are legitimate and which aren’t,” he explained. “You can let one or two operate, but you can’t let the small-time operators get away with it.”
In his view, society needs financial education. He also believes stricter rules are needed for the online betting sector. “Gambling is a disease, an addiction,” he concluded.
Original article: https://igamingbusiness.com/sports-betting/president-lula-ban-online-gambling-brazil/
