THE Ministry of Financethrough the Prizes and Betting Secretariat (SPA), and the Ministry of Health signed, this Wednesday (3), a Technical Cooperation Agreement (ACT) to integrate prevention, damage reduction and health care actions for people affected by problems with fixed-odd sports betting. The document was signed by the ministers Fernando Haddad and Alexandre Padilha, in a ceremony at the Esplanada dos Ministérios, in Brasília.
During the event, the government announced that, next Wednesday (10), a Centralized Self-Exclusion Platform will be launched, which will allow bettors to block, at once, access to all betting sites authorized by the Prizes and Betting Secretariat (SPA) of the Ministry of Finance. The tool will also prevent the use of the user’s CPF in new registrations and the sending of bet advertisements.
Currently, bookmakers are already required to offer their own self-exclusion mechanisms, but the new platform unifies the process and will also provide information about SUS service points focused on mental health.
Cooperation between Finance and Health
Haddad stated that the rise of betting in recent years, without adequate regulation, has worsened problems such as money laundering and pathological addiction. “These problems affect families and the economy. We will identify the most worrying cases, both in the field of crime and addiction, to share the information with the Ministries of Justice and Health”, he said.
Padilha classified the partnership as a “historical milestone” for tackling the issue as a public health problem. “Based on information from the Ministry of Finance, we will be able to identify people who are developing compulsion and reach them with the support of health agents and qualified professionals,” he stated.
The agreement, valid for five years, provides for permanent exchange of information between the departments, development of educational materials and training of SUS professionals to deal with the impacts of problem gambling.
Working group and new actions
According to the Secretary of Prizes and Betting, Regis Dudena, ACT is an offshoot of the Interministerial Working Group (GTI) created in 2023 to deal with mental health and the prevention of harm linked to betting. Among the planned measures is the training of 20 thousand professionals from the SUS Psychosocial Care Network (RAPS), in partnership with Fiocruz Brasília. The course, lasting 45 hours, is open for registration until May 2026.
The Ministry of Health also launched the Care Line for People with Problems Related to Gambling, which brings together clinical guidelines and provides in-person and online care in SUS units — including CAPS, UBS, UPAs and general hospitals.
From February 2026, the government will offer mental health telecare, with support from RAPS and a partnership with Hospital Sírio-Libanês, which should start with 450 monthly consultations.
Other initiatives include the Care Guide for People with Problems Related to Gambling, now available on the Meu SUS Digital application, and the reinforcement of the SUS Ombudsman’s Office (136), prepared to guide citizens about gaming addiction and mental health.
Users can also access the Mental Health Self-Test on SUS channels, with reflections and guidance on how to seek support.
Fonte: Gaming365 – Brasil
