Lula bans Brazil online betting one week before reelection

The order needs congressional approval to stick, & rival Flávio Bolsonaro reportedly calls it an “electoral measure”.

The hit

Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva signed an order on Friday banning fixed-odds betting, just over a week before the first round of the presidential election, according to the Associated Press. The order stops new deposits immediately & gives users until 5 October to withdraw funds. It hits a market business analysts value at more than $4bn a year in sports betting revenue.

Why it matters

For bettors, the clock is already running: no new deposits, & funds must come out by the deadline. For operators, the order ends advertising immediately. Brazil’s main football clubs sounded the alarm after betting companies reportedly warned them that sponsorships would end immediately if a ban landed, saying it could mean “the end of Brazilian soccer”.

The record

Withdrawal deadline	5 October (presidential order)
Congressional approval window	120 days to remain in effect (presidential order)
Annual sports betting revenue at risk	over $4bn (business analysts)
Estimated annual social cost of betting	38.8bn reais / $7bn (Institute of Studies for Health Policies, 2025)
Monthly Brazilian betting spend	about 30bn reais / $5.7bn (Brazil’s central bank, last year)

What happens next

Lula’s government has also drafted a bill to create criminal offences tied to fixed-odds betting, including promoting it & using personal data to solicit bettors. Lawmakers from Flávio Bolsonaro’s Liberal Party previously struck down a Lula order for betting tax hikes last October.

Sources: Brazil’s President Lula bans online betting ahead of presidential election – Baltimore Sun

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