Brazil ban backfires: 415 illegal sites in days
Brazil’s justice & finance ministries took down 506 illegal sites straight after the ban.
The hit
Brazil’s gambling ban has fuelled the illegal market, according to Bet Legal, with more than 415 new illegal gambling websites appearing since President Lula da Silva announced Provisional Measure 1,394 on Friday, September 25. The survey, run with Iron Security, tracked the sites in the days after the ban took immediate effect.
Why it matters
The measure blocks operators from taking new customers straight away, but Congress has 120 days to ratify it before it becomes permanent. Industry body ANJL says the ban does little to counter illegal gambling & warns bettors will have nowhere else to go. For bettors, licensed sites are closing off while unregulated mirror sites multiply.
The record
| Ban announced | Provisional Measure 1,394, September 25 (President Lula da Silva) |
|---|---|
| New illegal sites | 415+ launched (Bet Legal, Iron Security) |
| Sites taken down | 506 blocked by Brazil’s justice & finance ministries |
| Bettors at risk | 30 million estimated to turn to illegal market (ANJL) |
| Ratification window | 120 days for Congress to make the ban permanent |
What happens next
Congress has 120 days to ratify Provisional Measure 1,394 or let it lapse. Bettors & operators are watching whether lawmakers back the ban or block it.
Sources: Brazil’s Black Market on the Offensive Following Lula’s Ban on Gambling
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