In the legal challenge, ANJL emphasizes that the content contains generalized and potentially defamatory allegations, goes beyond “criticism of specific agents and affects the sector as a whole”. In the post, made on the 10th, ABRAS says that, in 2024, the retail sector would have lost R$103 billion (US$19bn) to the betting market. However, official data from IBGE show that, in the last year, the sector registered a growth of 4.7%.
Another erroneously mentioned fact is that 'Bets' (as the operator are called) authorized by the Federal Government would pay only 12% of tax burden, and this rate refers only to a specific contribution provided for in Law No. 13,756/2018, the so-called GGR (Gross Gaming Revenue). The effective taxation is around 38%, considering the cumulative incidence of Brazilian taxes such as IRPJ, CSLL, PIS, COFINS and ISS, in addition to the GGR.
ANJL intends to use the eventual response from ABRAS to subsidize future applicable legal measures, including criminal and reparatory measures.
“The retail sector has decided to choose someone to blame for the rise in food prices on families’ tables. And, in their opinion, 'Bets' are responsible. This is absurd, because it spreads fake news that aims to attack a legitimate sector of the economy, which, this year alone, will generate more than R$4 billion (US$724m) in taxes. Money that is earmarked by law for investments in the areas of Sports, Health, Public Safety, Tourism, Education and Social Security. Reducing the country’s budgetary issues to the regulated betting market is irresponsible and simplistic,” said ANJL president Plínio Lemos Jorge.
According to Plínio, the video in the post is offensive and has a tone of misinformation because it does not differentiate between betting companies authorized and monitored by the Ministry of Finance and illegal betting sites, which represent a serious threat to public revenue, diverting billions of reais that should go to the public coffers.
“Nobody came in stealthily, as the video says. The names of the legalized houses are public and can be consulted by anyone on the Federal Government websites, which also publishes information every time a 'Bet' is authorized to operate in the country. ABRAS may be against the betting sector, but it cannot disseminate false information,” said Plínio.
Source: GMB
