According to the bill, betting websites will also be required to close the accounts of beneficiaries, who will need to withdraw any deposited funds.
The text explicitly prohibits registration and the maintenance of active accounts on online betting platforms by individuals receiving benefits from state social programs.
The bill further mandates that companies implement verification mechanisms to ensure that beneficiaries of state income transfer programs cannot register or maintain active accounts on these platforms.
Operators must consult an official database provided by the managing authority of social programs during the registration process to verify whether the user’s tax ID (CPF) belongs to a social assistance beneficiary.
If betting companies identify that a user is linked to a state social program, they must deny registration. If they discover that a beneficiary already has an active account, they must close it—the user will have two days after notification to withdraw their funds.
Betting operators that fail to comply with these measures may face warnings and fines ranging from 0.3% to 20% of their annual gross revenue per violation. The bill also provides for partial or total suspension of operations in the state, or even permanent revocation of authorization, with a ten-year ban on reapplying for a new license.
The lawmaker stated that the proposal aims to “protect the population in situations of social vulnerability.”
“This is a measure of social responsibility, similar to the one recently adopted by the federal government, which prohibited Bolsa Família and BPC beneficiaries from maintaining active accounts with online betting operators, in compliance with a decision by the Federal Supreme Court,” she said.
Source: Folha
