Brazil’s Ministry of Health (MESP) has released a national guideline for medical professionals who administer care for those suffering from gambling harms.
The document expands on the country’s Unified Health System (SUS), and is aimed at professionals registered with the Psychosocial Care Network (RAPS), offering practical advice on how to monitor and treat problem gambling behaviour.
All guidelines were prepared as a result of close collaboration between MESP and experts in behavioural anomalies, including representatives from the Department of Mental Health, Alcohol and Drugs, as well as the Secretariat of Specialised Health Care.
MESP’s statement on the pressing need of the 73-page document highlighted that admissions to the SUS related to pathological gambling have grown significantly between 2018 and 2025, giving special attention to online betting abuse cases that have led to deteriorating mental health in patients, as well as financial hardships.
“With this set of measures, the Ministry of Health reinforces its commitment to the protection of the mental health of the population, the organisation of the SUS response and the offer of comprehensive, humanised and accessible care throughout the country,” the MESP added.
Guidelines do “more than recognising a growing pattern”
The guidelines cover aspects such as warning signs and patterns of problem gambling, support tools for evaluation and treatment, suitable responses to the severity of each case, as well as best practices for efficient collaboration with Psychosocial Care Centres situated across Brazil.
“The document arises from the collective commitment to understand and take care of the new forms of psychic suffering that emerge in the contemporary context, such as problems related to gambling and their relationship with the digital landscape,” the authors stated.
“More than recognising a growing phenomenon, it recommends how to improve the psychosocial care of affected people, considering the impacts on daily life, bonds and public health.
“Care must recognise that the problems related to betting games are not limited to an individual and mental health issue. These problems also manifest themselves as an expression of social, economic and cultural vulnerabilities, demanding territorial, intersectoral responses and based on listening and co-responsibility.”
Brazil recently celebrated the first anniversary of launching its regulated betting market back in January 2025. Since then, the gambling market in general has been significantly altered to protect the country’s vast population, including the launch of a national self-exclusion registry.
However, initiatives like the latest problem gambling guidelines show that there is still work to be done in that direction. This will be one of the key points at the SBC Summit Rio conference, which will bring the region’s top voices together on 3 March.