The IWG was composed of the Ministries of Sport (MEsp), Finance (MF), and Health (MS), as well as the Secretariat for Social Communication of the Presidency of the Republic (Secom), under the coordination of the Secretariat of Prizes and Betting (SPA).
Discussions involved technical consultations, ordinary and extraordinary meetings, interministerial coordination, and participation of experts and invited entities, ensuring evidence-based decisions aligned with best practices.
To continue the debates held across 13 meetings and monitor the implementation of the action plan, a Permanent Committee for the Prevention and Harm Reduction of Fixed-Odds Betting and Mental Health Care will be established, composed of the same members as the GT.
According to Giovanni Rocco, National Secretary of Sports Betting and Economic Development of Sport, the joint work highlights the importance of interministerial coordination in addressing a complex problem, aggravated by the lack of regulation under the previous administration.
"All this joint effort is of utmost importance in addressing the consequences of problem gambling. We will rely on scientific advances to mitigate part of the issues stemming from this behavior. That is why this articulation among the Ministries of Finance, Health, and Sport, along with Secom, is so significant, showing that the government is attentive to this matter,” Rocco stated.
Regis Dudena, Secretary of Prizes and Betting, emphasized that the group worked on drafting guidelines, defining priorities, and establishing a structured set of actions, ranging from direct mental health care to communication strategies, prevention of match-fixing, and sports integrity.
“The concrete deliveries of this action plan, after intense collaboration among ministries, are very relevant steps to combat the negative externalities of the betting sector,” Dudena evaluated.
“The proposed actions complement each other by protecting bettors and the wider economy — whether through direct tools for the market, multisectoral public policies, or health initiatives such as self-tests and the centralized self-exclusion platform. They also encompass sports-related measures and institutional communication with citizens. This is another advance in protecting people, and that remains our primary goal,” he added.
Centralized self-exclusion platform
Among the initiatives to be implemented this year is a centralized self-exclusion platform, allowing bettors to exclude themselves from all betting sites authorized by the SPA. Currently, authorized ‘Bets’ are required to provide self-exclusion mechanisms for their respective platforms.
The new platform will enable players to voluntarily block access to all their betting accounts at once, prevent the use of their taxpayer ID (CPF) for new registrations, and stop receiving betting advertisements.
Centralized self-exclusion is scientifically recognized as an essential strategy to reduce the mental health harms associated with gambling. The GT discussions with the ministries highlighted its importance.
SUS Network Qualification
Another planned measure is the qualification of professionals in Brazil’s Psychosocial Care Network (RAPS – SUS) to better support individuals with gambling-related problems.
The Ministry of Health’s Department of Mental Health, Alcohol, and Other Drugs (DESMAD/SAES/MS), in partnership with Fiocruz Brasília, will offer a 45-hour self-instructional course for 20,000 RAPS professionals on the subject.
“Strengthening the existing network and qualifying RAPS teams to support people facing gambling problems is a priority for the Ministry of Health. The group will coordinate integrated actions and ensure the delivery of the initiatives set forth by the Federal Government,” said Marcelo Kimati, director of DESMAD.
The plan also recommends the adoption of a standardized mental health self-test to help identify early signs of gambling disorder. Operators will be required to make the tool available so bettors can evaluate their relationship with gambling.
Minimum Service Guidelines for Bettors, with a focus on health, will also be established to standardize orientations for health professionals and betting platform staff.
Additionally, educational materials on sports integrity and the prevention of match-fixing will be developed for athletes, along with a broader institutional communication campaign.
Source: GMB
