President of Brazil Equates Online Gambling with Illegal Game ‘Jogo do Bicho’

Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, President of Brazil, has voiced concerns over the online gambling industry, comparing it to the country’s illegal “jogo do bicho” (animal betting game).

The President highlighted that Brazilian families are allocating as much as 14% of their income to online betting.

“This country is curious: the bicho game is still banned today, but everyone plays bicho. What is more serious, worse than the game itself, are the 24 hours a day of gambling on television”, said the president, as reported by the newspaper O Globo.

Online game ‘Jogo do Bicho’

Additionally, during his address, President Lula erroneously mentioned that online betting taxes have not been implemented, suggesting that operators are profiting without contributing to the state.

Contrary to this statement, taxes on online gambling were, in fact, sanctioned by Lula in December of the previous year. The Brazilian Ministry of Finance is currently working on finalizing the regulations for the online gambling sector.