The Brazilian National Association of Games and Lotteries (ANJL), the Brazilian Institute of Responsible Gaming (IBJR) and the National Association for Legal Certainty in Games and Betting (Anseja) have filed petitions with the Supreme Court seeking to suspend President Lula's provisional measure banning online betting.
The measure took effect on 25 September. Operators were given until 6 October to shut down betting sites and apps, with a mass licence revocation scheduled for 25 October. The measure still requires Congressional approval within 120 days to become permanent law.
ANJL and IBJR filed a joint petition on 28 September with Justice Luiz Fux as part of ongoing constitutional challenges to Brazil's betting regulatory framework. The associations are asking for a full suspension until Congress decides or the court rules, preserving current licences. The alternative: either freeze the ban for existing licence holders or grant a transition period of at least six months during which operators would file a wind-down plan with the Secretariat for Prizes and Betting (SPA) but continue operating.
The associations argue no new facts justify the urgency required by the constitution for a provisional measure. The government itself proposed the regulatory model, and risks around vulnerable users, advertising and online casino were debated when Congress passed the law. ANJL will also file a separate suit challenging the measure's constitutionality.
Anseja filed a direct constitutional challenge requesting an emergency injunction. More industry suits are expected in the coming days.
