Brazilian government urges public to defend online betting ban

Brazil's federal government has urged citizens to contact members of Congress in support of keeping the ban on online betting, in a post on its official Instagram account on 28 October. The government said Provisional Measure 1.394/2026 is already in force but requires approval by the National Congress to remain effective.

The measure was published on 25 September and banned online betting, interrupting the activities of the regulated market. The initial period for its review in Congress ends on 23 November and may be extended by a further 60 days. Parliamentarians submitted amendments ranging from revocation of the ban to a partial resumption of operations or the retention of restrictions.

The Instituto Brasileiro de Jogo Responsável (IBJR) launched a campaign, "Aposto que você não sabia", with a verification site to rebut false information about the sector. Carlos Lima, the institute's executive president, said the ban had not removed demand for betting but had opened space for the illegal market and removed protections for bettors.

Lima said many people attribute to the regulated market problems that also stem from the illegal market, and that much of the data and research published does not make that distinction. He said the debate is therefore based on disinformation, which he said the campaign seeks to counter.

The site gathers checks of messages and explains the obligations and counterparties companies had to meet before the measure took effect. The IBJR is promoting it through Brazilian football clubs' uniforms and advertising boards at the side of the pitch. Among the claims it rebuts are that online betting is sinking Brazil into debt and that people spend more on betting than on anything else.

A separate initiative with the Associação Nacional de Jogos e Loterias (ANJL) displays messages on stadium LED panels, including "Proibir não é proteger", "Brasil proibiu e o mercado ilegal invadiu" and "Regular é proteger".

Supreme Federal Court (STF) minister Luiz Fux, the rapporteur of the actions challenging the measure's constitutionality, scheduled a public hearing for 3 November. The hearing, convened at the request of the Advocacia-Geral da União (AGU), will bring together representatives of the government, industry bodies and football clubs. Fux set the order of interventions, with each of the 27 invited participants allowed up to 10 minutes.

The opening will be led by Fux, followed by 10 football clubs (Flamengo, Fluminense, Botafogo, Cruzeiro, São Paulo, Corinthians, Ponte Preta, Vitória, Guarani and Portuguesa), the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) and the Brazilian Olympic Committee (COB). The AGU, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Sport, the Federal Prosecution Service and industry associations including the ANJL and the IBJR will then speak.

The ANJL and the IBJR defend suspension of the provisional measure and question, among other points, the absence of the urgency requirements needed for its issuance. The AGU maintains that the ban is constitutional and argues the federal government has the competence to establish which lottery modalities may be operated in the country. Fux kept the measure in force while the challenges are examined. The hearing is to gather legal arguments and information on the effects of the ban before the actions of unconstitutionality are judged.