The PT government of Brazil has stated that mental health will be central to its national gambling policy, with the launch of the “Health Observatory on Gambling Disorders” — a first for South America.

The Observatory will be established to study, research, and advise on the prevention of gambling harms in parallel with Brazil’s new national betting market, which officially came into effect in January 2025 and further regulatory changes. 

Formed under a Technical Cooperation Agreement (ACT), the Observatory represents a formal partnership between the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Finance, aligning health protection, fiscal oversight and data-sharing under one framework.

The agreement was signed by Health Minister Alexandre Padilha and Finance Minister Fernando Haddad, signalling a unified government approach to prevention, treatment and responsible regulation.

Brazil: ACT first on Health & Gambling 

The ACT establishes a permanent line of communication between the Secretariat of Prizes and Betting (SPA) — part of the Ministry of Finance — and the Secretariat of Specialized Health Care (SAES) within the Ministry of Health.

Its aim is to create a continuous data exchange between both institutions, identifying vulnerable individuals and communities while enabling targeted interventions through Brazil’s Unified Health System (SUS).

The five-year agreement, renewable upon review, is designed to serve as the foundation of a national mental health strategy linked to the regulation of gambling and betting activity.

According to Regis Dudena, Secretary of Prizes and Betting, the Observatory and its framework are “the tangible results of the Interministerial Working Group on Mental Health and Prevention of Gambling Harms (GTI),” which unites several ministries and agencies in addressing social protection and harm reduction.

“The agreement formalises not just a valuable tool for putting public policies into action but a framework,” said Dudena. “It provides a structured flow of information between agencies and lays out the policies for prevention, risk reduction, and assistance to people with harmful gambling-related behaviours.”

Haddad’s sign off

Finance Minister Fernando Haddad described the initiative as a key moment in connecting fiscal responsibility with social welfare.

“We are very concerned about gambling-related issues; they affect families and have a huge impact on the economy,” Haddad said. “Our greatest concerns are the laundering of money through gambling and other crimes, and the negative consequences of gambling for health.

“For the Ministry of Health to be active, it needs to know, and we have that information. We are going to identify the most significant risk cases, both in crime and addiction, and report those to the Ministries of Justice and Health. The teams are trained to provide the best possible approach.”

The agreement also provides for the creation of educational materials and training programmes for SUS professionals, aimed at helping healthcare workers recognise signs of problem gambling and understand the structure of the betting market.

New public tools and care initiatives

Health Minister Alexandre Padilha described the launch of the Observatory as a “historic step” for Brazil.

“For the first time, we will have qualified information to identify risky behaviours, activate the SUS teams, and provide care and support to those suffering from compulsive gambling — a very invisible issue that destroys lives and families,” he said.

Together with the Observatory, the Ministry of Health has also launched the ‘Care Line for People with Problems Related to Gambling’, offering clinical guidelines, online support and in-person consultations to expand access to treatment across the country.

“The SUS will be ready to reach these people through in-person support, telehealth and the Digital SUS,” Padilha continued. “The message is clear: no one has to face this alone. The SUS is here to help and protect.”

2026: Observatory & self-exclusion

Padilha concluded that the ability to analyse and share data will be the driving force behind Brazil’s prevention strategy. The Ministry of Health confirmed that approximately 450 online consultations per month will be offered, with in-person follow-ups available when necessary.

“The SUS will be crucial in turning information into care,” Haddad added. “Through cooperation between the Ministries of Finance and Health, we can act preventively, responsibly and collaboratively to protect children, young people and adults, and provide real pathways of support to those who have become dependent.”

During 2026, the SPA plans to roll out a centralised self-exclusion system covering all licensed betting operators. Recognised as the SPA’s flagship player-protection initiative, Brazil’s self-exclusion is scheduled to enter beta testing  by the close of 2025, ahead of its full nationwide implementation later in 2026.

Under the broader mental health strategy, the SPA’s self exclusion scheme is viewed as the tool system that allows individuals to block access to all licensed betting websites and opt out of receiving betting-related marketing linked to their CPF (tax identification number).