The Hand Of Midas

What is The Hand Of Midas?

What the president does not acknowledge is that the government relies on revenue from the sector. In just the first seven months of 2026, BRL8.747 billion generated by sports betting has already flowed into public coffers. The Federal Revenue Service estimates the total could reach BRL16 billion by the end of the year. In 2025, nearly BRL9 billion was collected from sportsbooks.

The burning question is where such funds will come from if Lula shuts down the betting industry. Yet, no one points out to him that players will simply migrate to the illegal market. Betting will continue to exist, but without formal tax revenue, oversight or player protections.

It will be up to the government to effectively curb the illegal market so the regulated sector continues to generate taxes and jobs while upholding responsible gambling practices. By riding the wave of criticism against betting companies, the government is diverting attention from the true cause of household indebtedness.

What is The Hand Of Midas?

A private members’ bill, 2026/009, was put forward on 20 January by 23 deputies and referred to the General Legislation Committee on 29 January. It would amend the 1974 decree-law to prohibit all online gambling and require internet and payment providers to block it.

MP Yasser Gourari, one of the deputies promoting the measure, told Diwan FM that the bill provides for fines of MAD10,000 to MAD500,000 and prison terms of one to five years. Penalties rise where there is recidivism, involvement of minors or suspicion of money laundering.

He described online gambling and betting as a “social scourge“. Some people, he said, “after repeated losses and financial difficulties, have been driven to despair, sometimes to the point of contemplating suicide”.

What is The Hand Of Midas?

The result for customers was more choice, shorter suspension periods and faster bet acceptance. For operators, those improvements can support both customer retention and profitability.

While simulations and validation exercises had helped Kambi prepare for the traffic and operational demands of the 2026 World Cup, testing could not establish how performance would compare with the wider market once the football began.

Independent analysis by Bettormetrics found Kambi partners either led or shared the lead on measures including time to market, live uptime and bet delay. It also outperformed its B2C and B2B competitors on live uptime in World Cup markets including over/unders on total goals.