{"text":[[{"start":8.08,"text":"President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva unveiled an online gambling ban just over a week before heading into a tight election, seizing on widespread concerns over addiction and squeezed household finances across Brazil."}],[{"start":22,"text":"The leftwinger signed a provisional order on Friday prohibiting fixed-odds sports betting and digital casinos, which have exploded in popularity to create a multibillion-dollar industry since being legalised in recent years."}],[{"start":35.86,"text":"With the gambling boom sparking warnings about the impact on families and mental health, Lula compared the phenomenon to cancer."}],[{"start":42.84,"text":"“It has turned into uncontrolled gaming,” the president said. “It reminded me of the beginning of crack [cocaine] in this country.”"}],[{"start":50.88,"text":"He added: “Either you remove the tumour or the tumour will kill us.”"}],[{"start":55.08,"text":"The measure takes immediate effect upon the order’s publication but Congress must approve it within 120 days or it risks lapsing."}],[{"start":63.44,"text":"Political analysts viewed the ban as an attempt by the 80-year-old former trade unionist to boost his electoral chances against rightwing challenger Flávio Bolsonaro, as Latin America’s largest economy prepares to choose its next leader on October 4."}],[{"start":79.24,"text":"Polls show the incumbent neck and neck with the 45-year-old senator. If no candidate gains an absolute majority, the top two go to a run-off later in the month."}],[{"start":88.64,"text":"Mario Marconini, managing director at risk consultancy Teneo, said the betting ban was a “desperate move” and hinted at fears that the president could lose in the first round."}],[{"start":97.84,"text":"“Lula has been losing ground and he’s coming up with all these measures eyeing those 2mn people that gave him victory in the last election,” he added."}],[{"start":107.32,"text":"In 2022, Lula narrowly defeated then-president Jair Bolsonaro, Flávio’s father, who was last year found guilty of plotting a coup to unlawfully remain in power."}],[{"start":117.94,"text":"The veteran leftist, who previously ruled between 2003 and 2011, on Friday also launched a new debt renegotiation scheme."}],[{"start":126.64,"text":"The opposition has sharply criticised such pre-election pledges from Lula, saying they are giveaways intended to win votes."}],[{"start":130.52,"text":"Flávio Bolsonaro called the gambling crackdown “populist, hypocritical and politically motivated”."}],[{"start":137.54,"text":"Last week, the president announced a 15 per cent increase in payments under a flagship welfare programme effective from next month at an annual cost of R$22.7bn (US$4.4bn) in 2027 to Brazil’s strained public accounts. He has also suggested offering free weight-loss injections for people with obesity."}],[{"start":159.64,"text":"The gambling embargo taps into mounting anxieties in a country where most games of chance have long been illegal. Ministers are expected to present a separate bill proposing imprisonment of up to six years for violations."}],[{"start":173.04,"text":"Three-quarters of Brazilian adults support banning internet betting, which became legal in 2018, according to a survey by Atlas and Bloomberg published this week."}],[{"start":182.8,"text":"Brazil’s central bank has labelled the activity a “central element” in the rise in household indebtedness, which has been compounded by the country’s double-digit interest rates."}],[{"start":192.44,"text":"Despite solid growth since Lula took office in 2023 and relatively low unemployment, the government believes stressed family budgets are a major factor behind economic discontent as GDP expansion slows."}],[{"start":205.4,"text":"The ban was denounced by online betting companies, which generated R$36.9bn in revenue last year, according to finance ministry figures."}],[{"start":214.68,"text":"Warning that the prohibition would drive consumers to illegal gaming sites with no consumer protections, industry bodies threatened legal challenges and predicted billions of dollars in compensation claims."}],[{"start":225.52,"text":"“A ban also does not eliminate demand,” said André Gelfi, managing director of Betsson Group and member of the Brazilian Institute of Responsible Gaming. “The risk is that consumers will shift to illegal and offshore operators, where there is no effective protection, taxation or regulatory oversight. The best approach is to refine the regulation.”"}],[{"start":245.44,"text":"With virtual bookies a fixture in Brazilian football advertising, soccer clubs have also warned it could devastate the sport financially."}],[{"start":256.75,"text":""}]],"url":"https://audio.ftcn.net.cn/album/a_1790554064_7335.mp3"}