Brazilian presidential candidate Romeu Zema said he would seek to suspend fixed-odds betting platforms by presidential decree if elected, calling it his first act in office. He said he would decide later how to support people facing betting-related financial problems.
Zema's proposal signals a potential restriction on betting platforms if he is elected.
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Reportedly, Brazil’s 2026 presidential contenders have outlined differing approaches to online betting. Romeu Zema and Renan Santos support prohibition, while Ronaldo Caiado proposes closer financial monitoring and advertising restrictions. President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva is considering restrictions, and Flávio Bolsonaro proposes preventing the use of social benefit payments for betting.
Four Brazilian presidential candidates support a total ban on sports betting platforms, according to a media report. The sector paid R$12.2bn in taxes in 2025, while the candidates did not set out how to replace that revenue; other candidates proposed tighter rules or did not address the issue in their platforms.
Brazil’s Congress is considering Provisional Measure 1.394/2026, which suspends the country’s authorised fixed-odds betting framework and prohibits online betting and casino operations. The measure gained urgency status on 9 November, but the examining committee has not been established; the initial deliberation period ends on 23 November. President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has defended the ban, arguing that it redirects household spending towards everyday goods.
Brazil’s Congress is reviewing a measure to end online gambling, following President Lula da Silva’s suspension of the Bet Law. The bill is already in force and has attracted 99 proposed amendments. The measure became an urgent item on 9 November, though the mixed congressional committee examining it has not yet been established.
Brazil Supreme Court Justice Luiz Fux stayed all lower-court cases challenging Provisional Measure 1.394/2026 on 8 November, pending rulings on four constitutional challenges. The Prosecutor General’s Office requested the stay on 6 November; the court must still confirm Fux’s injunction, while industry associations ANJL and IBJR’s request has not been decided.
Brazil’s Supreme Court Justice Luiz Fux has halted lower-court cases against the country’s betting ban, according to the report. The decision, signed on 8 November, pauses challenges to Provisional Measure 1.394/2026 until the court decides four constitutional challenges to the ban. The Prosecutor General’s Office filed its request on 6 November.
A newspaper editorial published on 8 November called on Brazil's Supreme Federal Court to uphold Provisional Measure 1.394/2026, which ended regulated online betting. The editorial cited R$144 billion allegedly diverted from retail to betting over two years; a commentary challenging that figure put regulated-market gross gaming revenue at R$56.97 billion over 18 months, using Ministry of Finance figures for 2025 and the first half of 2026.
A Brazilian newspaper editorial called on the Supreme Federal Court to uphold Provisional Measure 1.394/2026, while an opinion column on a Brazilian betting industry site challenged its economic arguments. The editorial acknowledged that the measure was electorally motivated and used the wrong legal instrument, and that President Lula had bypassed the urgency requirement.