Lula attacks gambling again, paradox: online vs physical gaming
In a speech in Salvador, the president warned about minors' access and questioned the logic of banning physical venues while cell phones allow betting 24/7. The sector reminds that the regulated market already has facial recognition and self-exclusion.
President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has made the issue of betting a recurring focus of his public agenda. For the third time this year, the president used an official event—this time in Salvador, last Friday, February 6—to express his concern about the social impact of iGaming, focusing on minors and what he considers a historic legislative contradiction.
"Do you know how many years we have been against gambling, against casinos? Well, we haven’t ended gambling. It still exists, but it remains prohibited (physically)," Lula stated. His criticism points to the paradox of maintaining the prohibition on brick-and-mortar casinos while allowing unrestricted digital operation.
"Where is the casino today? Inside your homes. There are children aged 10 and 15 placing bets. If we don’t think about this, if we don’t regulate it, we are lost, because we don’t know what kind of world we will face," the president concluded, warning about families who "spend more than they earn" chasing quick luck.
The regulatory response: Biometrics and digital "Lock"
Although the presidential speech resonates with public opinion, the regulated industry defends itself with technical facts. Current regulations strictly prohibit the registration of minors under 18 and advertising aimed at them. Moreover, federally licensed platforms are required to implement facial recognition systems for login, a technological barrier specifically designed to prevent children from using their parents’ accounts or credit cards.
Additionally, since December the government has had a key tool: the centralized self-exclusion platform. Developed by the Secretariat of Prizes and Betting (SPA), it allows any citizen to block their access to all authorized betting houses for a minimum of one month, providing a mandatory break to protect financial and emotional health.
The real enemy: The black market
The underlying problem Lula denounces—the access of minors and lack of controls—seems to lie mostly in the illegal market, which operates ignoring SPA’s rules.
A recent survey by Aposta Legal estimated that, just in 2025, clandestine platforms (without licenses and without effective age controls) collected more than BRL 14 billion (USD 2.682 billion). Although the government has blocked nearly 25,000 illegal domains between late 2024 and 2025, the "gray zone" remains the main risk channel, operating outside the self-exclusion system and the responsible gaming policies that legal companies are required to comply with.
Tags: Brazil, online betting Brazil, Lula da Silva