Flávio Bolsonaro accuses Lula of inaction amidst the clash over ending online betting in Brazil

Senator and presidential candidate Flávio Bolsonaro (PL) ramped up his criticism of the current administration while countering the recently announced strategy to end online betting proposed by Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT). During a live broadcast alongside São Paulo Governor Tarcísio de Freitas and the city’s mayor, Ricardo Nunes, the lawmaker blamed his political opponent for the population’s widespread indebtedness, stating that the Workers’ Party (PT) member had failed to act and allowed the expansion of these platforms across the country to go unchecked. How the proposal to ban online betting pits Flávio Bolsonaro against the Workers’ Party government In the senator’s view, the current promise of a ban made by the Planalto Palace is an attempt to distance itself from a social crisis that has taken hold under the current administration. Although he declared himself opposed to gambling in general, Flávio made a point of distinguishing sports betting—linked to real-world events—from virtual slots. “I am opposed to gambling in any form, but betting on legitimate games involves some degree of control—there is the Mega-Sena and other legalized games.” The problem is the online casinos that this government authorized. I voted against legalizing gambling, whereas the entire PT caucus voted in favor. “And so Lula plays dumb, but he authorized and regulated it,” he declared. He also launched a direct attack on federal oversight. Lula doesn’t crack down on illegal betting sites, nor does he oversee the legal ones. He let things run unchecked, and everyone ended up in debt. That debt you have with the “Little Tiger” is Lula’s fault, and now he has the nerve to say he’s going to put an end to it. Next, Flávio compared the economic scenarios. “If you take the number of bettors at the end of the Bolsonaro administration and compare it to now, it’s almost double.” Political background, international travel, and sector regulation Despite his current hardline stance, the senator’s track record on the issue has fluctuated. In 2020, he joined an official delegation to Las Vegas and Miami to try to attract integrated casino resorts to Brazil, stating at the time: “We just need to do our homework.” However, after joining the evangelical caucus in the following years, he began voting against bills to legalize the activity. In 2023, he reinforced his stance in the Senate: “As far as I’m concerned, it shouldn’t even exist. I’ve already voted against it and made my position clear.” He went so far as to propose taxing the sector at 70%, reiterating: “As far as I’m concerned, it should be abolished.” The market’s legal impasse spans several federal administrations. The legalization of betting took place in 2018, under Michel Temer. The deadline set for drafting the rules elapsed during Jair Bolsonaro’s administration without the regulations being finalized. It was only in 2023—already under the Workers’ Party (PT) administration—that Congress approved the definitive regulations and, during the legislative process in the Chamber of Deputies, included online casino games. O post Flávio Bolsonaro accuses Lula of inaction amidst the clash over ending online betting in Brazil apareceu primeiro em iGaming Brazil.