Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Brazil’s president, signed a provisional measure on Friday that banned all sports betting and online casinos across the country. The announcement came in São Paulo just nine days before the first round of the presidential election on October 4.
The order prohibited the operation, offering, intermediation and advertising of fixed-odds betting. New deposits into betting accounts stopped immediately after publication. Users retained access to platforms only to withdraw remaining funds until 23:59 on October 5. From October 6, app stores and network providers were required to block the sites and applications.
Finance Minister Dario Durigan presented the details alongside the president. He stated that more than 60 billion reais had flowed from families to legal betting companies. “We are facing a public health issue involving online betting. It is a serious problem,” Durigan said. He added that the measure aimed to end legal sponsorships of bets in the country after October 6.
Lula described the industry as a cancer during the event. “Either we remove the tumour, or it kills us,” he said. He further noted that he had taken “a hard, drastic and necessary measure.” The provisional measure required congressional approval within 120 days to remain in force. Separately, the government drafted a bill to create criminal penalties for related offences.
Meanwhile, Flávio Bolsonaro, a senator and Lula’s main opponent in the race, rejected the decision. During a campaign rally in Rio de Janeiro he called the crackdown “populist, hypocritical and politically motivated.” Opinion polls had shown the two candidates nearly even ahead of the vote.
The online betting sector had expanded rapidly after legalisation in 2018. Lula’s administration later established a regulatory framework that granted dozens of licences. Betting firms had become major sponsors of Brazilian football clubs. The ban left those contracts void after the October 6 deadline.
