Brazilian Senate bill would let nonprofit hospitals run fixed-odds betting platforms to fund SUS healthcare

Proposal attributed to Senator Dra. Eudócia (PL-AL) would allow philanthropic hospitals and other nonprofit health institutions that serve the public system (SUS) to operate “bets”; net revenue would be earmarked exclusively for health spending, with profit distribution banned and separate accounting required.

A new bill introduced in Brazil’s Senate is seeking to open an unconventional funding channel for public healthcare: authorising nonprofit health institutions to offer fixed-odds betting services and use the proceeds to support activities linked to the Sistema Único de Saúde (SUS). The proposal is attributed in Brazilian and industry coverage to Senator Dra. Eudócia (PL-AL) and was first reported in Brazil by columnist Lauro Jardim.

According to details published by specialist outlet BNLData, the bill would allow philanthropic hospitals, health social organisations, charitable entities and humanitarian institutions that provide services to SUS to operate their own fixed-odds betting platforms. A central element is cost and access: the proposal would exempt eligible institutions from licensing/authorisation costs, lowering the barrier for nonprofits to enter the regulated “bets” segment.

The draft is also designed with strict earmarking rules. Coverage says 100% of net revenue generated from the betting activity would have to be applied exclusively to healthcare-related purposes, including the purchase of medicines, acquisition of medical equipment, maintenance of services and improvements to infrastructure. The bill would also ban any distribution of profits to members or administrators of the participating organisations.

To reduce the risk of diversion and strengthen oversight, the proposal reportedly requires segregated accounting (separate bookkeeping) for betting operations, alongside transparency and accountability mechanisms for how funds are collected and spent. Supporters argue this mirrors models where lotteries or gaming proceeds are channelled into social priorities, while critics are expected to raise questions about reputational risk and the ethics of healthcare organisations relying on gambling-linked income.

At this stage, reporting notes the bill has no set timetable for committee review or a plenary vote, meaning the next milestones will be whether it is formally assigned, debated and amended—and whether lawmakers treat betting as a viable earmarked tool for health financing amid Brazil’s broader tightening of gambling oversight.