These messages are sent to users who use ‘Bets’ – as operators are called in Brazil - legalized by the Brazilian government and, in some cases, even result in the blocking of the bettor's passwords, preventing the transfer of money to the platform.
Some in the sector have identified that this measure has pushed players towards illegal bets, where they do not encounter the same barriers.
“When the bank issues this alert, it often also blocks the password or card or transaction of the player who wants to bet. It does not allow him to place the bet. What will he do then? He will look for an alternative and will play in illegal houses, where the commitment to security is zero,” says Plínio Lemos Jorge, president of the National Association of Games and Lotteries (ANJL).
Plínio said that banks are unable to identify illegal ‘Bets’ in their databases and, therefore, do not send the same alerts to users of unauthorized sites. The president of ANJL also said that he has already reported the problem to the Central Bank and to the Secretariat of Prizes and Betting (SPA) of the Ministry of Finance, the agency responsible for regulating the companies.
“They said they will monitor this movement more closely and advised us to seek out professional associations to show that these warnings are harming us. It could be due to the banks’ lack of knowledge,” added the company representative. Currently, 72 betting houses are authorized to operate in Brazil.
Encouragement of unfair competition
Last week, the Ministry of Finance received from entities representing the betting sector a list of companies that have not complied with the rules, have not purchased the license, are headquartered outside of Brazil and, even so, continue to operate normally. According to the survey, these clandestine sites collected close to R$1 billion (US$170m) per month without paying taxes.
“This control was one of the premises of the regulated market, but that is not happening. If there is a rule, it needs to be followed. If it is not and nothing happens, a competitive disadvantage begins to exist. This is unfair competition,” said André Gelfi, president of the Brazilian Institute of Responsible Gaming (IBJR).
Source: Veja
