“Addiction is not a social class thing”, says minister about bets

The Minister of Human Rights, Macaé Evaristo, stated this Wednesday (2) that gaming addiction “is not something linked to social class”. The statement was in reference to the use of Bolsa Família in online betting, bets.

According to Macaé, prohibiting the use of the benefit in betting will not be enough to solve the problem of addiction.

“I keep thinking, I don’t think it’s really about Bolsa Família. We need to understand that gambling addiction is not something that is linked to social class”, he declared during the “Good morning, minister” program on Canal Gov.

The minister also added that “gambling addiction is linked to society as a whole. We know of people who lose fortunes. It’s not just a lack of education, of knowledge, and it’s not linked to the social class you are in.”

Recently, the Central Bank revealed that Bolsa Família beneficiaries spent R$3 billion on online betting in August. Of the 20 million beneficiaries, around 5 million placed bets via Pix. Of this total number of gamblers, 70% are heads of families and spent, in August alone, R$2 billion on online games (67% of the total R$3 billion). The average bet value was R$100.

Regarding the use of the benefit in betting, Macaé highlighted that “there may even be people who use the Bolsa Família card” for betting. However, she highlighted that the majority of the program’s beneficiaries are women, and according to her, they are more careful with their money.

“Let’s think that no one is free from having an addiction. Just as no one is free from having an addiction to alcohol and other drugs, no one is free from gambling addiction. So, that’s why we need to deal with [o tema] with due care”, he added.

Macaé reinforced that he is against betting and also demonstrated his “concern” with the constant advertisements and exposure that children and teenagers have to this type of game on social media and even on TV. According to her, betting can cause a person to lose everything they have “for a joke”.

Hearing at the STF on bets

The Ministry of Human Rights is one of the guests for the hearing at the Federal Supreme Court (STF), on November 11, which will deal with the regulation of betting. Among the guests are the presidents of the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies, Rodrigo Pacheco (PSD-MG) and Arthur Lira (PP-AL), respectively, Haddad, the president of the Central Bank, Roberto Campos Neto, and associations.

Minister Luiz Fux decided to schedule the hearing after receiving a lawsuit presented by the National Confederation of Commerce in Goods, Services and Tourism (CNC), which requested the immediate suspension of the effectiveness of the “bets law”. The CNC argued that Law 14,790/2023 is causing “serious social and economic impacts”.

Fux considered that, given the “complexity and interdisciplinary nature of the topic”, the public hearing is necessary to provide the Court with “essential information for unraveling the matter, as well as for the future judicial pronouncement to have greater democratic legitimacy” .