Brazilian gambling operators ordered to register on consumer rights platform
The portal will facilitate communication for player disputes.
Brazil.- The Ministry of Justice and Public Security (MJSP) and the Ministry of Finance (MEF) have ordered all SPA-licensed online gambling operators to register on the Brazilian consumer agency SENACON‘s platform at Consumidor.gov.br. The move will allow players to deal with disputes with operators via the free public service platform.
The platform is intended to facilitate information and communication between consumers and companies in disputes. SENACON will monitor consumer rights in the new regulated online gambling market, which went live in January. It warns that operators could face penalties for non-compliance if they fail to join the platform and comply with its rules.
Players will be able to lodge complaints against licensees directly via the consumidor.gov-br platform, and operators will have to review complaints within 10 days. SENACON does not act as an intermediary and stresses that the platform serves to facilitate interactions on disputes, making it easier to track the progress of complaints in a transparent way.
SENACON notes that its platform has a resolution rate of 81 per cent and that over 8.9 million consumer complaints have been resolved via the platform.
SENACON secretary Wadih Damous said: “Mandatory registration on Consumidor.gov.br is a fundamental step to ensure that bettors’ rights are respected. Now, Brazilians have a direct and efficient channel to register and monitor their complaints, strengthening balance in consumer relations.”
The federal gambling regulator SPA said it would work with SENACON to monitor the conduct and reputation of gambling licensees.
Secretary Regis Dudena said: “The participation of betting operators on the platform Consumidor.gov.br reflects the commitment of the Ministry of Finance to ensure that all practices are carried out in accordance with legal standards, with respect for consumer-bettors.”
Meanwhile, the SPA has invited Brazilian states to meet to discuss the possibility of closer alignment between federal gambling regulations and those at the state level. The SPA has also updated its list of licensed betting operators, adding Lucky Gaming’s 4Win along with Esporte 365, BetAki, and Vanguard Entretenimento Brasil’s Jogo de Ouro. The regulator has now issued 80 online betting licenses, 71 through the standard regulatory process and nine provisional for a combined 175 brands.
The SPA has also confirmed that the Ministry of Finance still intends to block welfare recipients from gambling. The measure had been proposed by the Supreme Court last year due to concerns about people using benefits payments to gamble.
Dudena said in an interview that the measure was still in the final stages, but that the intention was to prohibit gambling for people who receive the Bolsa Familiar and Continuous Benefit Payment (BPC), two of the most common state welfare plans in Brazil.
