Brazil's betting ban has led to more than 3,500 job losses since 25 September, when President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva signed Provisional Measure 1,394. That represents 23% of the sector's workforce. A further 4,167 employees have been placed on unpaid leave, and industry association ANJL expects 5,600 redundancies within 90 days — 37% of those employed in the sector.
The measure prohibits fixed-odds betting, including sports betting and online casinos. Players were given until 5 October to withdraw funds; sites and apps were required to cease operations from 6 October. Existing licences will be cancelled within 30 days. Advertising, sponsorship and payment services for betting are now banned.
ANJL president Plínio Lemos Jorge called the measure 'unconstitutional' and is seeking urgent court intervention. Licensed operators, payment providers, marketing agencies, compliance specialists, affiliates and industry media have all been affected. ANJL and IBJR, together with the broadcasters' association Abert, have filed suits with the Supreme Court. Justice Luiz Fux is hearing the cases; claimants are requesting suspension of the restrictions.
Congress has received 26 amendments to the measure, including proposals for proportional refunds of licensing fees and a 24-month transition period for football club sponsorship contracts. Analytics firm Blask recorded a 74% drop in traffic to licensed betting sites in the week following the ban. The measure must be approved by congress within 120 days or it will lapse.
