The Minister of Labor and Employment, Luiz Marinho, said this Tuesday (4) that sports betting should be banned in Brazil.
According to him, gambling addiction causes illness, debt, and declining productivity among workers.
The statement was given to Folha de S.Paulo during the Summit Mulheres Profissões, in São Paulo.
“The right thing to do is to ban it, to end it, because if it’s bringing illness, impoverishment, and indebtedness, it’s a serious problem,” said Marinho.
He stated that a ban would depend on a law approved by the National Congress.
NR-1
Marinho said that Regulatory Standard 1 (NR-1) could help map out the problem. The standard requires companies to identify psychosocial risks in the workplace.
According to him, inspectors from the Ministry of Labor already visit companies and provide guidance on applying the standard.
The minister criticized companies that went to the Federal Supreme Court (STF) to delay fines for non-compliance with NR-1.
Justice André Mendonça, of the STF, granted a 90-day period before the Ministry can apply these fines.
According to Marinho, this decision did not suspend the standard: “There is a period for dialogue,” he said.
He stated he sees no problem in extending this period, as long as companies make progress in implementing the measures.
6×1 Work Schedule
Marinho also mentioned the debate over ending the 6×1 work schedule.
For him, the delay in this discussion maintains a model that favors illness in the labor market, in addition to the problem of betting sites.
The Minister of Labor’s statement echoes that of Lula, who advocated for ending betting in May, but the ban remains stalled in Congress.