Brazil's National Association of Games and Lotteries (ANJL) has filed a direct action of unconstitutionality with the Supreme Federal Court challenging Provisional Measure No. 1,394, which bans the operation, offer and advertising of fixed-odds sports betting and online gaming. The suit, registered as ADI 8,027 on 28 September, seeks to suspend the measure pending Congressional or court resolution.
President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva issued the ban on 25 September. Licensed operators must shut down websites and apps by 6 October or face forced blocking. ANJL and the Brazilian Institute of Responsible Gaming (IBJR) filed a joint motion with Justice Luís Fux arguing the government failed to demonstrate the constitutional urgency required for a provisional measure. Operators paid $30 million per licence for five-year federal permits; an abrupt ban undermines legal certainty and risks pushing players to unlicensed bookmakers.
Beyond full suspension, the associations ask the court to exempt licensed operators from the measure or grant at least six months for orderly wind-down. The legal challenge runs parallel to industry lobbying in Congress.
