With the Brazil legal betting market set to launch on 1 January 2025, government officials have expressed concerns that regulated gambling could increase financial harms for vulnerable players.

Last Wednesday (25 September), federal deputy Luiz Carlos Hauly presented bill PL 3717/2024 to prohibit the use of electronic payments for gambling, including popular instant payment service Pix, which is controlled by the Central Bank. The ban wouldn’t apply to federal entities such as the bank Caixa and its lottery licensees.