Brazil’s President Lula bans online betting ahead of presidential election
The order targets a market that drew R$88.4 billion in bets in the first half of 2026 and faces a court challenge from industry groups.
- On Friday, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva signed a provisional executive order banning fixed-odds betting, designed to tackle families falling into debt ahead of next week's presidential election.
- Officials claim the ban addresses public health crises and economic drainage, citing a 2025 study showing betting costs Brazil 38.8 billion reais annually and increases suicide and depression rates.
- Brazil's main soccer clubs warned of financial ruin after betting companies reportedly threatened to terminate sponsorships immediately if the government proceeded with the ban.
- Sen. Flávio Bolsonaro, Lula's main rival in the upcoming election, accused the leader of an "electoral measure," though polls show widespread public support for the ban among Brazilians.
- The provisional order takes effect immediately but requires congressional approval within 120 days to remain in effect; users must withdraw funds from platforms by October 5.
187 Articles
187 Articles
Brazilian President Luis Inácio Lula da Silva signed a provisional order banning all forms of online gambling, including sports betting and online casinos, less than two weeks before the presidential election.
In a decisive step before the first round of the presidential election, President Lula da Silva of Brazil took new action towards the sports betting sector.
ledauphine.com
Given to the elbow-to-neck in the polls with his far-right rival, Lula decided to ban sports bets on Friday, a few days from the election.
BRAZILIAN President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva announced a ban on online betting in South America's largest country on Friday and unveiled a new program aimed at households to make debt repayments easier.
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