When the health, well-being, and budgets of Brazilian families are at risk, it is the duty of professional journalism to take a stand.
When an economic sector brings more harm than good to the population, it is to journalism that society relies to investigate the actors involved and demand action from the authorities.
This is the case with online betting sites, or bets.
A study by the Brazilian Institute of Retail Executives indicates that bets are now the main factor in Brazilian debt, five times more so than credit cards and loans.
According to the Central Bank, funds from the Bolsa Família program spent on gambling reached R$ 3 billion in August of last year. The Ministry of Social Development (MDS) indicates that 1.8 million beneficiaries used their Bolsa Família program cards at gambling establishments.
Economic data points to an epidemic. According to the Locomotiva Institute, a third of gamblers were already in debt by 2024, while the number of absences from work due to gambling addiction – compulsive gambling – jumped stratospherically, by more than 2000%.
Released in 2018 but only regulated in 2023, the online betting sector has amassed significant economic and political power in the meantime, wielding considerable influence in Congress that hinders the progress of regulatory matters.
As a result, the profits in this sector are now exorbitant. And they allow them to influence, through sponsorships and endorsements, various sectors of society, such as digital influencers and celebrities in the world of entertainment and sports.
According to Kantar Ibope Media, betting companies invested R$ 2.3 billion in media buying in Brazil in 2024 alone — 58% of that for TV and 42% for digital. Meanwhile, the gross revenue of these companies reached R$ 37 billion last year.
Advertisements promoting betting are everywhere: in games and TV programs, websites, newspapers, magazines, concerts, and popular festivals. Online betting companies routinely knock on the doors of news organizations and even non-profit organizations, offering advertising and partnerships.
We publicly repudiate this influence, especially on journalism, which must be, above all, committed to the public interest. Our role is to defend society and, therefore, to investigate and independently denounce the undue power of the sector and demand stricter rules from the authorities regarding advertising and the activities of betting companies.
By agreeing to promote online games, we believe we would be contradicting information rigorously gathered by our teams.
The seriousness of the current epidemic, which has particularly affected the poorest, cannot be downplayed due to commercial interests, under penalty of undermining the credibility of journalism.
More than that: we understand that news outlets need to take an institutional stance against the growing influence of media outlets in public debate – whether through lobbying or the purchase of advertising space.
Furthermore, it should demand that the authorities take action to protect the public from the propaganda and public influence of betting companies, as well as regulate their operations and work to mitigate the damage already caused.
To combat this epidemic, the public and private sectors and organized society must act together and with the urgency that the social issue demands.
(Media outlets participating in this initiative, in addition to NeoFeed : Agência Lupa, Agência Pública, Alma Preta, Amado Mundo, Aos Fatos, Manual do Usuário, Matinal, Meio, Mobile Time, My News, Notícia Preta, Plural, Portal IMPRENSA and Reset)
