Bingo halls will have to compensate gambling addicts.
This is the understanding of the Federal Regional Court of the 1st Region, which condemned two companies for collective moral damages caused to citizens by the practice of gambling in the municipality of Itabuna (BA).
Legal Consultant - Gambling causes psychological distress to its players, and in cases of addiction, they depend on state assistance to pay for treatment. This is the understanding of the Federal Regional Court of the 1st Region, which accepted a request from the Attorney General's Office and condemned two companies for collective moral damages caused to citizens by the practice of gambling in the municipality of Itabuna (BA).
The court recognized the damages to public funds caused by the activity, which is illegal. The companies will have to pay compensation totaling R$ 100.
The Brazilian government and the Federal Public Prosecutor's Office filed a Public Civil Action against a private individual and the companies Grapina Comércio e Serviços Ltda and Central da Cacau Mania for operating bingo games in the region. The agency requested compensation for moral and material damages and the dissolution of the companies. The court ruled in favor of the plaintiff, but only ordered the suspension of the companies' activities.
Through the Union's Regional Attorney's Office in Ilhéus, the Union requested the reversal of the sentence in the TRF-1 (Regional Federal Court of the 1st Region), reaffirming the existence of collective moral damages. In the action, they argued that the harm caused by bingo halls has an impact on public health, due to the spread of diseases, disorders, and disabilities.
The TRF-1 (Regional Federal Court of the 1st Region) ordered each company to pay R$ 50,000 in damages. According to the ruling, the law does not authorize the exploitation of gambling for commercial purposes, and the conduct must be punished, in an educational manner, to inhibit the repetition of harmful practices by others. (Information from the AGU Press Office).