Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has pledged to ban online betting nationwide, marking a dramatic shift in the country’s approach to the regulated gambling sector.
The decision was reportedly taken on Wednesday, September 23, 2026, during a meeting with ministers at the Palácio da Alvorada in Brasília.
A provisional measure is currently being drafted, which would take effect immediately upon signing but would lapse unless approved by Congress within a set timeframe.
Ministers were instructed to complete the provisional measure within days, signalling that the administration intends to move quickly on the proposed ban.
Online betting was legalised in Brazil under a law signed on December 29, 2023, with the licensed market formally opening its doors on January 1, 2025.
In the first year of legal operations, 79 licensed operators reported 25.2 million Brazilians placing bets, while household debt linked to gambling became a major theme in public debate.
Licensed online betting and gaming firms paid R$8.7 billion (£1.2bn) in revenue to the Federal Revenue Service between January and July 2026, representing growth of 76.86% against the same period in 2025.
Despite that significant fiscal contribution, Lula’s increasingly hostile stance toward the sector has placed him at odds with elements of his own government who favour tighter restrictions rather than an outright prohibition.
Finance Minister Dario Durigan is among those preferring a more measured approach, pointing to the R$7.3 billion in tax revenue the state collected from regulated betting in the first half of 2026 alone.
Durigan’s position reflects a broader tension within the Brazilian government, where politicians broadly want to curb problem gambling but stop short of eliminating an industry generating substantial public revenue.
The proposed ban represents one of the most significant policy reversals in the global regulated gambling landscape, given how recently Brazil legalised and launched its betting market.
Industry observers will be watching closely to see whether Congress moves to ratify or reject the provisional measure, a decision that could determine the future of one of the world’s most valuable emerging gambling markets.
With tens of millions of Brazilian users already active on licensed platforms, the practical and legal challenges of enforcing a nationwide ban are expected to be substantial.
