Brazil's attorney general has asked the Supreme Federal Court to reject industry lawsuits and uphold the betting ban imposed by President Lula in late September. The National Gaming Association (ANJL) and the Brazilian Responsible Gaming Institute (IBJR) filed challenges arguing the ban violates legal certainty and will push players to the black market.
The attorney general claims the betting legislation has 'massively failed' to protect minors and combat money laundering. The office requested fresh public hearings — the previous round took place in November 2024 — and demanded the prosecutor general be heard within 72 hours before Justice Luiz Fux rules. That effectively freezes the sector and pushes any verdict past 25 October, when the second round of elections will be held between incumbent President Lula and Liberal Party leader Flávio Bolsonaro.
The ban came a week before the first round and was immediately labelled an election tactic. The call for hearings now sharpens the criticism: if the issue warrants such debate, why did Lula act in haste?
The attorney general said it blocked 10,435 illegal sites and submitted takedown requests for more than 3,000 pages, profiles and groups in the first week after the ban. ANJL counted 18,195 sites in total — the attorney general did not say how many appeared after enforcement began. Licensed operators are losing revenue, the treasury is losing tax, and affiliates are losing traffic.
