A federal court in Brazil has given the government 30 days to show how 17 licensed fixed-odds betting operators contributed to losses at the Unified Health System, SUS. The lawsuit seeks reimbursement and at least R$ 1 billion ($190 million) in collective moral damages.
Judge Helio Silvio Ourem Campos of the 6th Federal Court of Pernambuco ordered the Attorney General's Office, AGU, to supplement the claim and explain objectively how the operators drove up health spending. Defendants include Betano, Bet365, Superbet, Sportingbet, Esportes da Sorte, Onabet, Blaze, Betnacional, Estrelabet, Pixbet, Novibet, Betfair and KTO, among others. The case was filed on 28 September 2026.
The AGU wants SUS reimbursed for treating gambling addiction and related conditions over the past five years, plus future costs. It also seeks twice the value of bets placed by people with a diagnosed addiction. Preliminary Health Ministry estimates put the system's losses at R$ 2.6 billion ($500 million) or more. The court asked for the calculation methodology, the data sources and the criteria for splitting liability between operators.
The claim refers in places to 'cigarette-related diseases'. The judge asked whether that is a technical error. The wording suggests the case follows the model of the AGU's 2019 suit against the tobacco industry. The court will return to the merits once the filing is supplemented.
