Lula signs order banning online betting in Brazil

On September 25, 2026, in São Paulo, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva signed an order banning the operation, offering, intermediation and advertising of fixed-odds betting and online casinos. The order takes effect immediately upon Official Gazette publication, bars new deposits, lets users withdraw remaining balances until 11:59 P.M. on October 5, and requires platforms to stop operating from October 6. It needs congressional approval within 120 days to stay in force. Finance Minister Darío Durigan said betting on the sites is no longer possible and set the withdrawal cutoff. Lula told journalists he took a hard, drastic and necessary measure, likening betting to cancer that must be removed and to the start of the crack epidemic, and said it was affecting the mental health of millions of poor people. He posted that the state would be put at the service of families. A 2025 Institute of Studies for Health Policies study estimated annual social costs of 38.8 billion reais; the central bank estimated about 30 billion reais in monthly betting spend; sports betting revenue is estimated at more than $4 billion a year. Flávio Bolsonaro called the timing an electoral measure ahead of the October 3 first round. Football clubs including Flamengo resisted, defending the prior regulatory framework and sponsorships; Lula noted Brazil won five World Cups without bets. Polls cited in coverage show widespread public support for a ban. Congress must act within 120 days; criminal-penalty legislation is drafted.

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