In a move to safeguard social welfare funds, Brazil’s Federal Court of Accounts has prohibited their use for gambling activities, following a request from the Attorney General’s Office.
In November, Brazil’s Federal Supreme Court held a two-day hearing and subsequently voted to maintain an emergency injunction issued by Minister Luis Fux, which immediately prohibits the use of social welfare funds, including those distributed through the Bolsa Família program (a conditional cash transfer program for low-income families), for betting.
Following a Supreme Court ruling, the Attorney General’s Office (AGU) appealed the ban on using social welfare funds for gambling, claiming inadequate resources to distinguish these funds from other betting money. The AGU stressed its support for the objective of the ban but sought a “reasonable period” for effective implementation. Subsequently, Court of Auditors minister Jhonathan de Jesus instr