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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.
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David further emphasised the impact such a tax rise would have on high street workers and communities.
“They are people losing their jobs and communities losing long-established high-street businesses,” David wrote.
“These jobs matter. They matter particularly in communities where good local employment can be difficult to find.”
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Company creditors have alleged a shortfall of more than £1.3 billion ($1.7 billion), while administrators have accused Raja of orchestrating a scheme through which funds were systematically extracted from MFS and related entities.
A separate lawsuit brought on behalf of creditors alleges Raja received more than £408 million ($545 million) from funds managed by MFS into personal bank accounts across the UK, Monaco, Singapore, and the United Arab Emirates, according to The Telegraph.
Raja has also been accused of acquiring a fleet of luxury vehicles. The Telegraph reported these included six Ferraris, three Aston Martins, three Rolls-Royces, and two Mercedes-Benz vehicles.
