Brazil’s government has decided to prevent Bolsa Família and BPC beneficiaries from making new deposits into accounts linked to betting sites, according to an opinion article. The article criticises the restriction and argues for other measures, including spending alerts and guided-use accounts.
The deposit restriction affects betting operators’ access to customers receiving the named public benefits.
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Brazil’s Attorney General’s Office filed a clarification appeal against a Supreme Federal Court order concerning betting accounts held by Bolsa Família and BPC beneficiaries. The AGU said the order could not be implemented technically as written; the court had not set a new date for a conciliation hearing after Justice Luiz Fux cancelled the session scheduled for 10 February.
Brazilian Supreme Federal Court Justice Luiz Fux cancelled a conciliation hearing scheduled for 10 February and maintained the practical effect of his earlier suspension of the Finance Ministry's betting restriction for social-assistance recipients. Fux cited a scheduling conflict; the hearing has no new date. The suspension followed a request by the National Association of Games and Lotteries, which said the ministry's measure exceeded the court's 2024 guidance.
Brazil Supreme Court Justice Luiz Fux temporarily suspended mandatory blocking and closure of active betting accounts held by Bolsa Familia and Benefício de Prestação Continuada recipients. The ban on new registrations remains in force, and a conciliation hearing is scheduled for 10 February 2026 at 15:00.
The Brazilian Association of Economic Freedom (ABLE) asked the Supreme Federal Court to review Ministry of Finance rules that it says extend betting restrictions beyond the court’s interim order. The association says the rules affect registered family dependants who do not receive social benefits; it seeks urgent action to limit exclusions to the order’s scope. The court had not responded to the allegations, according to the report.
Brazil’s regulated online betting platforms must exclude recipients of Bolsa Família and BPC benefits, with the implementation deadline ending on 30 November. The rules require CPF checks at registration, at the first daily login and every 15 days; identified beneficiaries’ accounts must close within three days, with prior notice and two days to withdraw balances. A media report estimated the measure could remove about 20% of platform users.