Brazil Begins Blocking Betting Access for New Desenrola Program Beneficiaries
The regulated fixed-odds betting operators have started to block new registrations and limit betting activities for individuals who are involved in the federal debt-renegotiation program called the New Desenrola Brasil, or Desenrola 2.0, starting May 15.
The government has taken such a decision in order to prevent the financially unstable citizens from using the debt relief money to play at online betting sites. According to the new regulation, the licensees must conduct a verification of their users in the government’s database to ensure that none of them uses the debt renegotiation program.
Such a verification will be conducted through the use of the Restricted Users Module of the SIGAP system, which is responsible for managing the betting activities of the licensed operators. The system will automatically block any betting activities of those users whose CPF number appears in the restricted list with the following message: “Blocked – New Desenrola Brasil Program.”
New Requirements for the Operators’ Compliance
According to the new regulation, the operators must verify the blocked-users’ database once per day during the first login of each customer. Moreover, they are required to reject the application of any new user who participates in the debt renegotiation program.
It is also required that any active bets are canceled in case of discovering that the customer became the participant of the Desenrola 2.0 program. By May 20, the companies should finish their review of the customers’ databases in order to identify those who are included in the debt-renegotiation program.
After conducting such a verification, the operators are required to block the accounts of the participants within three days. However, prior to imposing the restriction, the betting company should send a notification explaining the reason for such a measure to the user.
In case when the account balance remains, the player should withdraw his/her money voluntarily. In case of no withdrawal, the betting site should transfer the money to the registered account of the customer within two days.
Besides, the new regulations provide for strict document storage requirements. All messages sent to the users must be recorded by the operators, noting the date, time, channel, and content of the message. Such documents must be kept for at least five years.
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Industry Organizations Warn about the Risk of Using Illegal Betting Sites
Although the regulated operators began implementing the measures, the industry organizations warn about the possible consequences of applying such a solution without increasing the control over the illegal operators.
Instituto Brasileiro de Jogo Responsável and Associação Nacional de Jogos e Loterias argue that applying such restrictions can only increase the activity of unlicensed betting sites that are not controlled by the authorities of Brazil.
The representatives of the betting industry claim that a broader approach based on consumer protection and financial education, along with more efforts in fighting against the illegal gambling, is necessary. According to the organizations, the effectiveness of the Desenrola 2.0 program depends not only on the measures concerning the betting activities, but also on the government’s ability to limit the activity of illegal betting sites.
The Duration of the Restrictions Can Be Changed During Congressional Discussion
Though the current restrictions imply 12-month betting restriction for the participants of the program, this measure can still be modified during the discussion of the Provisional Measure No. 1.355/2026.
There were 88 amendments submitted by the legislators, some of which were focused on the issue of betting restrictions. There were several propositions suggesting limiting the period of prohibition to six months. Other amendments proposed to lift the ban on betting accounts of users who have paid off their debt.
Moreover, some amendments suggest extending the restriction to individuals with a negative CPF status, formally delinquent persons, spouses, and gamblers.
The measure is supposed to be discussed by the Joint Congressional Committee by July. At the same time, the approval of the restrictions is quite high. According to the Genial/Quaest survey, 79% of Brazilians supported betting prohibition for the participants of the Desenrola 2.0 program.
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Source: SBC Noticias
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