Gambling and the Brazilian political wallet: why everyone claims to reject the game, until they see the money
Many Brazilians often condemn gambling out loud, especially the political class. Celebrities, deputies and senators call betting a “social plague” or a “destructive vice”, but days later, the same corridors of Congress are full of projects to regulate, tax and direct the resources that come from online betting and casinos. The script is always the same: moral outrage in public, revenue pragmatism behind the scenes. The result? A scenario in which those who feel the impacts the most are the betting houses, while politicians rush only to transform the sector into yet another source of revenue, and the higher the tax rate, the better.
Let’s look at the facts. Gambling is not a small niche in Brazil. Research and studies from the Senate itself already show that tens of millions of Brazilians use “bet” sites, a market far too large to go unnoticed. Where there is so much money, there is political interest. And where there is a politician, there is always one eye on morality and the other on revenue.
Hypocrisy in the halls of power
An example of this happened in the very CPI that investigated match-fixing, created to examine possible links between games and betting companies. During the work, there were situations in which commercial interests with companies in the sector ended up clashing with the investigative role. Investigating on one side, negotiating on the other. The parliamentarians themselves judged the behaviour as hypocritical.
The second part of this behaviour is even more interesting. The moralist discourse becomes an excuse to increase taxes. Politicians who say that gambling is harmful, “immoral” or “destructive” are the same ones who propose projects to use the money collected from the sector for social causes. In recent months, a rain of bills in this sense: allocating part of lotteries and bets to homes for the elderly, to mental health, to programmes to prevent gambling addiction and many others. Of course, no one is against strengthening these areas; in fact, it is essential that they receive public support, but it is impossible to ignore the political calculation. Condemn the sector on the platform, but approve the extra funds days later.
The federal government and Congress have already discussed several times increasing the tax burden on betting houses, presenting the idea as “social responsibility”. In fact, it makes sense for a lucrative market to pay taxes, but when the same politicians who speculate against gambling are behind these proposals, it is clear that the concern is not only moral or social, it is fiscal.
Turning revenue into responsibility
First, it is necessary to create intelligent regulation. Instead of completely restraining the sector with prohibitions created – visibly – with the intention of exterminating it, the ideal would be to define rules that allow it to grow sustainably, with responsible advertising, responsible sponsorships and safe access for players.
Second, the revenue can and should be used strategically. Projects that direct the amount collected from betting (and ensure that it reaches its proper destination in full) to health, education, prevention programmes and care for the elderly give the sector an additional purpose, transforming online casinos into a tool of real social impact, and not just a political slogan.
Third, transparency is essential. Sponsorships, partnerships and operating rules must be clear and fair, without conflicts of interest that compromise political or regulatory decisions. The credibility of the sector depends on clear rules and efficient oversight, not on empty moralism. We could see a few months ago a Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry very similar to a stand-up show, and that exposed the profile of the leadership that governs such a promising sector.
If the intention is truly to protect Brazilians, taxing the sector fairly is the right thing to do. But pretending repulsion in public and, at the same time, planning how to spend every penny from betting is complete political theatre.
This article was first published in Portuguese on 29 September 2025.
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