Brazil Bans Sports Betting Days Before Presidential Election
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has signed a provisional measure banning fixed-odds sports betting and online gambling, days before the country’s presidential election.
The measure, signed on Friday, September 25, prohibits the operation, offering, intermediation and advertising of fixed-odds betting platforms, commonly known as “bets”. It also applies to state and district-authorised operations.
The government said new deposits on betting platforms were immediately prohibited. Existing advertising and sponsorship material must be removed by October 5, while betting websites and applications are scheduled to go offline from October 6.
The move has major implications for Brazilian football, where betting companies have become a major source of sponsorship. AFP reported that 13 of Brazil’s 20 top-flight clubs had betting companies as their main shirt sponsors.
Brazil’s football clubs have opposed the ban, warning that it could significantly affect their revenues and other areas of the sport, including youth and women’s football. Flamengo described the measure as a “heavy blow” to Brazilian sport.
The government has defended the measure as a public-health and consumer-protection response, saying the rapid expansion of betting has contributed to household debt. The government said 85 betting licences had been granted, with companies paying a combined 2.55 billion reais in licensing fees.
The ban comes just over a week before Brazil’s October 4 presidential election, in which Lula is seeking a fourth term. The measure is provisional and must be approved by Congress to become permanent.
The betting industry has criticised the prohibition, arguing that stronger regulation rather than a ban would better protect consumers while preserving jobs and tax revenues.
