By next week, an inter-ministerial group will be created to assess the impacts of electronic betting on the mental health of bettors, revealed the Secretary of Prizes and Bets at the Ministry of Finance, Regis Dudena. In an exclusive interview with Agência Brasil, the secretary said that the group will bring together the Ministries of Health and Finance, with the possibility of the participation of the Ministry of Sports.
“Our relationship with the Ministry of Health is a very intense relationship and should culminate, next week, with the signing of an interministerial decree, creating a group together with the Ministry of Health. It is possible that other ministries will participate, such as For example, the Ministry of Sports, and perhaps there will even be an invitation to other departments”, declared Dudena.
According to Dudena, the idea is that the Secondary Care Secretariat of the Ministry of Health, the body in charge of mental health policies, draws up a diagnosis and suggests measures to mitigate the effects of electronic gaming addiction on gamblers. Other departments of the ministry, informed the secretary, will be able to work on the task force.
“The original idea was to create a working group involving the Secondary Care Secretariat, which is the one that takes care of mental health, but there will possibly be the involvement of other departments of the Ministry of Health as well. We know that there are still steps to be taken, and it is important that these relationships and interactions with the Ministry of Health are intensified”, commented the Secretary of Prizes and Bets.
Dudena informed that the group has not yet been created because of Finance Minister Fernando Haddad’s trip to New York with President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, where he participated in parallel events to the United Nations General Assembly. The Minister of Health, Nisia Trindade, will travel to Washington next week for meetings of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO).
Sports betting app – Photo: Bruno Peres/Agência Brasil
Reviews
The Secretary of Prizes and Bets countered criticism that health professionals did not have suggestions accepted in the regulation of electronic betting. “Since we decided to regulate [as apostas eletrônicas]hundreds of meetings have been held since last year. If we look at the meeting agendas, we see that the topic of mental health and responsible gaming is present on all agendas, regardless of who these agendas are with. If there is anything I have learned, both in private and public life, it is that regulation is done by listening to the regulated sector”, he said.
According to Dudena, measures constantly suggested by professionals from different areas are included in the Ministry of Finance’s ordinances. “The ban on credit cards, often sold as a solution, is already foreseen in the payment methods ordinance, which came out in April. A mental health specialist once mentioned to me several suggestions that were already incorporated, such as prohibiting minors from placing bets, CPF registration and facial recognition. [do apostador] with proof of life”, he added.
working group
The Ministries of Finance and Health participate in another working group, created on Friday (27) by the Ministry of Development and Social Assistance, Family and Fight Against Hunger (MDS). The group will analyze the use of Bolsa Família card resources for online betting, after a survey by the Central Bank (BC) reveals that around R$3 billion from Bolsa Famíliaaround 20% of payments ended up in bets.
The group will work in partnership with the Federal Network for Inspection of Bolsa Família and Single Registry for Social Programs of the Federal Government (CadÚnico) with the aim of presenting, by October 2, a proposal to restrict the distortion of the purpose of the program. In addition to Finance and Health, the Civil House will work on the action in an integrated manner.
In a note, the MDS reiterated that social income transfer programs were created to guarantee food security and meet the basic needs of families and people in vulnerable situations.
“The priority will always be to combat hunger and promote dignity for those who need it most”, highlighted the ministry. “MDS’s focus remains firm on ensuring that Bolsa Família continues to be an effective instrument to combat poverty and food insecurity.”
