Lula announces ban on bets in Brazil (9 days from general elections)

O government announcement takes place at a time when the campaign of the PT tries to react to polls of intent to vote that put Lula statistically tied with his main opponent to the Palácio do Planalto, Flávio Bolsonaro, in a second round scenario.

The debt of Brazilian families in general – which includes gambling addictions and gambling debts – has guided Lula and Flávio campaign speeches, which say that the country is experiencing an epidemic of debt caused by online gambling.

Earlier, Flavius called it "hypocrite" Lula for the ban and said that the current representative is doing “a swindle” with the elector a few days from the first round of elections.

The bets were authorized in 2018 in the government of former President Michel Temer, and throughout the term of Jair Bolsonaro (2019-2022), the betting market operated in Brazil without regulation, supervision and collection of taxes, what happened in the Lula Government, from 2023.

Flávio promised today, if elected, to keep the sports betting, but that it will prohibit the online casinos and Fortune Tiger, popularly called "game of the tiger" in Brazil, and accused Lula of making the regulation, back there, to collect taxes to cover "the rupture and spending of the government".

“From Lula’s regulation, he released, the online casino, the game of the Tiger, and the consequence is there, indebted families, thinking that this is a type of investment”, he stressed.

Both Lula and his governing base have emphasized in speeches that the gambling addiction and indebtedness of Brazilians to online casinos and bets is the fault of the government Jair Bolsonaro, who did not regulate gambling houses when he should.

In recent days Lula has also increased criticism of virtual gambling games by saying that betting platforms turn “addiction into profit” and are “destroying homes”.

In total, 85 companies, responsible for more than 180 brands, which were authorized to operate by the Brazilian government, will be prohibited from promoting bets in the country and advertising from October 6th, and until then, bettors may withdraw their balances on the platform.

Earlier, the National Association of Legal Gambling (ANJL) has anticipated and informed that it will comply with any new definition of the Brazilian Government, but that it will study ways to appeal and overthrow the measure.

Data from the country's tax and customs authority showed that in the Brazilian federal, it has grossed 15 billion reais, since 2025, about 2.53 billion euros.

The Brazilian football teams and federations also reacted previously to measure, which claimed that this represents the end of teams and sport, since they are sponsored by several brands, and cited legal uncertainty in the country.

The Brazilian President said today that the football teams “will have to find money otherwise, because bets will end” and referred to bets as “tumor” and “cancer”

"The football teams have no right to want to survive at the expense of the poor people's debt. Fan already buys the sweater, goes to the stadium. We passed a law for teams to become companies, but no one turned, because they want to suckle in the bets ", hit.

Last year, Brazilian gamblers deposited 220 billion reais (about 37.1 billion euros in the current exchange rate), of which 39 billion reais were lost in bets, equivalent to 6.57 billion euros).

A study developed by the National Committee of State and Federal District Secretaries of Finance (Comsefaz), released in August, shows that online gambling took 62.2 billion reais from Brazilian families in 2025, about EUR 10.54 billion in the current exchange.

The MP detailed by Lula government ministers in press conference should be published in extra edition of the Official Gazette of the Union, and when it is published will have immediate validity.

With this, the Brazilian Congress will have 120 days to analyze the measure, and it can validate, totally or partially reject parts of the measure.