Brazil's president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva will announce a complete ban on online betting on 25 September, nine days before the first round of presidential elections. The decision was made at a meeting with ministers in São Paulo, though the Bets Law was not on the agenda.
The government cites household debt: ministers estimate the regulated market drove 1.8 million Brazilians into debt over the past year. The central bank disputes that link, pointing to rising credit card usage as the main cause. Football clubs — Corinthians, Palmeiras, Flamengo and others — urged Lula to reconsider, warning of budget damage. He refused, saying football will survive without bookmaker money and that leagues are stuck in toxic relationships with operators.
Rival Liberal Party candidate Flavia Bolasaro has also pledged to ban online casinos if elected. Lula previously called himself "no friend" of the industry, promised "draconian measures" earlier this month, then a casino ban with betting restrictions. Now he is moving to repeal the Bets Law entirely, despite approving it himself in 2024. The regulated market launched on 1 January 2025.
The ban will hit operators hard: around 200 licensed sites have operated since January, including Greece's Betano, Romania's Superbet and Britain's Entain (Sportingbet brand). Tax authorities report operators paid R$8.7 billion from January through July 2026. Three bills are before Congress: PL 2972/2026 repeals betting entirely, PL 4977/2026 bans advertising and sponsorship, PL 2470/2026 restricts casinos and advertising. Which passes depends on the 4 October election result.
