Brazilian senator proposes €30-a-month betting deposit limit
Bettors would need to demonstrate financial capacity to increase the limit.
Brazil.- A bill presented by Senator Camilo Santana (PT-CE) proposes establishing a default monthly limit of just R$ 80, just over €30, for deposits intended for fixed-odds betting in Brazil. The proposal would amend Law No. 14,790/2023, which establishes the regulation of the Brazilian betting market, and provides for the possibility of increasing the limit for bettors who demonstrate greater financial capacity.
According to the text, the R$ 80 limit would consider the sum of all deposits made by the bettor during the month across the different companies authorised to operate in the country. Prizes received and amounts returned would not be included in this calculation. In his justification, Santana states that the regulation of betting has brought progress, but advocates for the creation of new mechanisms to reduce the financial impacts related to the activity.
“The recent experience of the market’s operation highlights the need for additional instruments to mitigate the risk of over-indebtedness resulting from betting,” he argues. According to the senator, the proposal was inspired by measures adopted internationally. He cited Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands as countries that use deposit limits to protect consumers of online gambling, although the limits are generally higher.
“This bill introduces, for this purpose, a monthly limit on deposits intended for fixed-odds betting, in a model inspired by practices adopted in other jurisdictions,” the senator stated.
The parliamentarian notes that the ceiling of R$ 80 corresponds approximately to 5 per cent of the current minimum wage and would function as a standard limit for bettors. Those wishing to deposit above R$ 80 may request an increase in the limit up to the equivalent of 5 per cent of their proven monthly income. It would be necessary to prove financial capacity following criteria and periodicity that will be regulated by the Ministry of Finance.
“The establishment of a standard monthly limit of eighty reais on deposits for fixed-odds betting, applicable to the sum of all amounts credited to the bettor, in any operating agent, even if ordered by third parties, corresponds, in approximate terms, to 5 per cent of the current minimum wage, in order to establish a reasonable level of maximum spending for the majority of bettors,” the bill states.
“In short, this is a measure that reduces the risk of over-indebtedness associated with betting and, at the same time, preserves space for bettors with greater financial capacity, duly proven, to request higher limits, without disproportionately compromising their income”.
According to the text, if a deposit exceeds the permitted monthly limit, the betting company would have to immediately return the amount deposited improperly, without prejudice to other penalties provided for in the legislation. The project also authorises the Ministry of Finance to update the value of R$ 80 to preserve its real value over time. If approved by the National Congress and signed into law, the bill establishes that the new rules will come into effect 90 days after the law is published.
