Brazil's betting industry has lost more than 3,500 jobs since Provisional Measure 1.394 barred licensed sportsbooks from operating in the country. That is 23% of the sector. The National Association of Games and Lotteries (ANJL) published the partial survey on Wednesday, built from operators' own reporting.
Another 4,167 workers have been placed on collective unpaid leave. ANJL expects layoffs to reach 5,600 within 90 days, which would be 37% of the sector. The count runs from 25 September, when President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva announced the measure.
'We need real numbers to assess the effect of the measure on workers and the companies that depend on this activity,' said ANJL president Plínio Lemos Jorge. Processing companies, marketing agencies, compliance providers, affiliates and specialised media have all been hit, he said, because the ban runs through the entire chain.
ANJL and the Brazilian Institute of Responsible Gaming have filed a suit at the Supreme Federal Court seeking to overturn the ban. The request to suspend the measure is with Justice Luiz Fux. A drawn-out ruling would turn temporary leave into permanent layoffs. 'Thousands of families are losing income because of an unconstitutional decision the court has yet to consider,' Lemos Jorge said.
