Brazil's President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva held a meeting at the Planalto Palace on the impact of regulated gambling on household finances. The regulated regime came into force at the start of 2025 under Lula's own decision. The guest list included civil society groups, business representatives, religious and medical institutions, and consumer protection bodies. No one from the gambling industry was invited.
Neither the National Association of Games and Lotteries (ANJL) nor the Brazilian Institute of Responsible Gaming (IBJR) attended. Even the Secretariat for Prizes and Betting (SPA) — the regulator within the Finance Ministry responsible for gambling oversight — was left out. With national elections in October, a meeting with industry stakeholders will need to happen soon if Lula intends to hear all sides.
"I think we need to make the most drastic decision," the President said. What that means remains unclear, but Lula's position is known: he has publicly linked rising household debt in Brazil to gambling, particularly online casinos. Betting has so far stayed out of the spotlight. The country's Central Bank disagrees with that assessment. Its governor, Gabriel Galípolo, recently said debt is growing because of excessive credit card use, not wagers.
Lula's cabinet may attempt to split the gambling law into two parts — online betting and online casinos — to regulate each segment separately. Both are currently governed by the same legislation. Either way, the government will need to balance voter demands and investor interests before the election.
