Brazil's President Lula da Silva has banned legal gambling. Operators must take down all websites and apps starting 6 October.
On 7 and 8 October, companies are required to provide banks with data on player account balances for refunds. Players could withdraw funds themselves until 5 October. Those who did not will receive refunds through banks and payment providers between 9 and 14 October. The government is redirecting traffic from closed sites to brasilsembets.br, a page notifying users that the resource is illegal.
The National Association of Games and Lotteries (ANJL) and the Brazilian Institute of Responsible Gambling (IBJR) have appealed the decision to the Supreme Court, addressing Justice Luiz Fux. The associations argue the redirect will affect around 100 million daily visits and prevent operators from fulfilling obligations during the transition period — processing refunds and maintaining systems and customer service.
The ban took effect on 26 September, two years after Lula signed the legalisation law. Critics link the timing to the presidential election: opponents accuse Lula of positioning against gambling to gain votes. His main rival is Flavio Bolsonaro. After the first round, Lula polled 45.16%, Bolsonaro 47.03%. The second round is on 25 October.
