Lula says betting ban is permanent as Congress and Supreme Court weigh MP 1.394/2026

Brazil's president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said during a YouTube live on the evening of Thursday 22 October that betting would not return to operation in Brazil. The ban rests on provisional measure MP 1.394/2026, which Congress must deliberate on and which is the subject of three Supreme Court actions. The report said Lula spoke as though the prohibition depended only on his decision.

The live was organised by federal deputy André Janones of Rede-MG and formed part of the digital campaign for Sunday's second round, in which Lula faces senator Flávio Bolsonaro of PL. Addressing the influencer Nath Finanças, Lula said: "não voltará mais a bet. Quem quiser ganhar dinheiro, vai trabalhar". He also called the sector a "praga" and said he had decided to act after speaking with indebted young people at a meeting at the Palácio da Alvorada.

A provisional measure has force of law but is temporary by definition. Under the procedure described by BNLData, Congress must deliberate on the measure within 60 days, a period that can be extended by the same length if voting is not completed in both houses; if it is not approved, it loses validity. The initial deliberation deadline ends on 23 November 2026. The report said the measure is close to completing a month without a joint committee installed, and that the committee still has no president, vice-president or rapporteur.

Congress received 99 amendments to the text by the deadline of 23:59 on 13 October. The report said the suggestions generally relax the measure, and that some of them keep sports betting while prohibiting only online games. It said deputies and senators are far from endorsing the president's statement that betting will not return.

In the judiciary, the measure faces actions from sector entities, clubs and broadcasters. Justice Luiz Fux is the rapporteur of three ADIs linked to the measure and is due to examine the requests only after the second round, according to the report. The AGU responded on 6 October defending maintenance of the prohibition. The Abert seeks suspension of the measure until Congress examines the text or until a final ruling in the actions. The clubs asked for a period of up to one year for adaptation and for the requests by the ANJL and the IBJR to suspend the measure while Congress has not deliberated to be granted.

The report said the measure ended authorisations within 30 days, without reimbursement to companies that paid R$30m each. According to a survey by the ANJL, the measure has already caused 3,500 dismissals. BNLData said the president's promise anticipates Congress, which can alter or reject the measure, and the Supreme Court, which can suspend it.