Brazil’s Lula Moves to Ban All Online Betting, a US$7 Billion Market
Brazil only licensed online betting in January 2025. Nine days before the election, President Lula is due to sign a measure banning all of it, sports bets included. The post Brazil’s Lula Moves to Ban All Online Betting, a US$7 Billion Market appeared first on The Rio Times .
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva plans to sign an online betting ban this afternoon in São Paulo. The measure, a provisional decree, will outlaw online casino games and bets on real sporting events, taking effect upon publication in the official gazette. Congress must approve it within 120 days or it will expire.
The specifics of the ban were not confirmed until Friday morning, with details emerging from aides quoted by various Brazilian media outlets. Initially, the proposal was narrower, focusing only on online casinos and advertising, but Lula opted for a broader ban, claiming it would "cut the evil at the root." This includes barring operators, both Brazilian and foreign, from offering, brokering, or advertising bets in Brazil.
Operators, whether Brazilian or international, would be prohibited from engaging in these activities. The measure is expected to take effect upon publication in the official gazette, with the publication anticipated by Friday or at the latest, Monday, September 28. This will coincide with the launch of a separate program where the Treasury purchases old household debts.
Brazil legalized fixed-odds betting in December 2018 under President Michel Temer, with rules implemented through a 2023 law signed by Lula. Licensed companies paid R$30 million (approximately US$5.8 million) for a five-year license. As of 2025, there are about 85 companies running 190 brands on .bet.br websites, generating approximately R$36.96 billion (around US$7.1 billion) in gross gaming revenue annually.
Online casino games contribute to 70 to 80 percent of operators' revenue, with around 25.2 million individual bettors, roughly one Brazilian adult in six. The federal tax agency collected about R$9.95 billion (approximately US$1.9 billion) in 2025, comprising a 12 percent levy on revenue, split among various sectors.
Finance Minister Dario Durigan emphasized that the tax revenue does not justify the measure, stating that if it harms people, the revenue is not justified. Lula connects online betting to household debt, which reached a record 28.9 percent of household income in June 2025. A Central Bank study found that five million people in recipient families sent betting sites R$3 billion (around US$580 million) in August 2024.
Public alarm over betting increased in 2024, and Lula described online betting as a "disease," vowing to end it before it ends Brazil. His campaign slogan now reads, "Flávio é bet, Lula é o caminho" (Flávio is a bet, Lula is the way). The betting ban is set to be signed nine days before the first round of the presidential election on October 4.
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