Brazilian Senator Blames Bolsonaro Administration for Betting Issues
Senator Soraya Thronicke made the comments at a Tuesday meeting of the CPI das bets (parliamentary commission of inquiry on betting).
Senator Soraya Thronicke, the rapporteur of the CPI investigating betting practices, believes that the current problems related to betting in Brazil stem from a lack of progress during the Bolsonaro administration.
In December 2018, then-President Michel Temer enacted legislation that paved the way for the regulation of sports betting in Brazil.
However, critics of Bolsonaro contend that little advancement was made under his leadership. Some now attribute current challenges, such as concerns about rising levels of addiction and debt, to the inaction during that period.
Soraya agrees, asserting that the market in Brazil grew with a parallel status during that time, leading to a proliferation of betting sites without proper oversight.
“From January 1, 2019, to December 31, 2022, who was the president? Jair Messias Bolsonaro,” Soraya told the CPI. “And it was during this time that Brazil became first in the world in the number of bets, the number of bettors. So, they let it run free.”
“I heard former ministers and people from the top tier of the former government saying that, yes, they tried, they brought this issue to the agenda. And it was part of the former government’s plan to regulate betting. And why didn’t they regulate it? No one answers that. No one regulated it.”
Soraya believes that current budget cuts can be attributed to the Bolsonaro government’s failure to regulate gambling and generate the resulting tax contributions.
“The estimated loss in revenue [is] R$15 billion per year,” Soraya added. “Imagine R$15 billion in 2019, 2020, and 2021 onwards!
“Now, we are facing budget cuts, threats of budget cuts in basic issues: health, education. Therefore, we cannot ignore the omission of the former government.”
Requests to Extend the CPI das bets
Last week, it was reported that the CPI on betting was nearing its end after the President of the Senate, Davi Alcolumbre, decided that the commission had had enough time to draft a report.
Senator Jorge Kajuru explained that Alcolumbre had labeled the CPI a “circus,” frustrated by its lack of progress.
With the CPI scheduled to end on June 14, Senator Izalci Lucas again requested on Tuesday that its work be extended, after two owners of betting platforms failed to appear, even after being summoned to testify.
One of them, an influencer known as “Jon Vlogs,” told the CPI that his absence was due to the fact that he was out of the country, to which Soraya retorted: “We know very well how rich these people are. They can come from abroad, because there are flights to Brazil every day. In my opinion, it’s bad will, an excuse.”
Izalci Lucas believes that it is essential that the CPI be extended so that those summoned can be heard, stating: “I hope there is good sense here and that we can approve the request to extend this CPI, because we still need to hear some people to conclude the report.
If the goal, in fact, is to investigate and improve the legislation, we will need a little more time.”
The “Circus” of the CPI
The CPI, established in November of last year, caught fire in December, when allegations of internal extortion within the committee surfaced.
Criticism intensified further in recent weeks after Senator Cleitinho Azevedo asked to take a photo with influencer Virgínia Fonseca during her testimony to the CPI about promoting betting sites on social media.
Soraya criticized Cleitinho when the case gained traction, criticizing his attitude and stating that she does not believe the answers she gave in her testimony.
In addition, Soraya requested that Senator Ciro Nogueira be replaced as an alternate member of the CPI das bets. The reaction came after reports that he had traveled on the private jet of a betting businessman who had given a deposition to the commission, which Soraya argued was a conflict of interest.
Advertising Proposals Ready for Vote
The Sports Commission was prepared to vote on proposals to further restrict advertising.
Approval of one of the bills would mean that advertising during the broadcast of live sporting events would only be allowed five minutes before and five minutes after the broadcast of the games.
Clubs fear that these restrictions will reduce the revenue they can generate from betting advertising.
Senator Eduardo Girão reiterated his desire to see betting completely banned, believing that the sector’s dependence on football on gambling sponsorships is proving detrimental to the sport.
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