Novo party asks Brazil's TSE to remove Lula and Alckmin over betting ban

An Electoral Investigation Action has been lodged with the Superior Electoral Court by Brazil's Novo party, which wants President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Vice President Geraldo Alckmin removed from office. Electoral Inspector General Ricardo Villas Bôas Cueva received the case on 20 October, and it carries the number 0603194-42.2026.6.00.0000. Novo's requests include a finding of political abuse of power, the annulment of the candidates' registration or mandate, and an eight-year disqualification. The party's allegations remain unproven, as the court has made no ruling on them.

According to Novo, the government applied 35 regulatory measures in 2026 to sway the presidential election, one of them being a prohibition of fixed-odds betting shortly before the first round. The party says the government's betting policy changed on 25 September 2026 with the implementation of Provisional Measure No. 1,394. The ban on fixed-odds betting, offering, intermediation and advertising covered the country, including wagering at casinos and online sports betting, and provided for the termination of existing authorisations and the return of players' balances. Law No. 14,790/2023, which set the legal framework, had been signed by Lula before the decision, according to the filing.

In Novo's account, the prohibition was made public nine days ahead of the first round, and the deadlines that accompanied it lined up with key dates on the electoral calendar. Websites faced a ten-day closure period that began right after the first round, while the government stated that bettors could take out their balances up to 5 October. Novo further lists measures such as fuel subsidies and adjustments to social benefits, noting that when these took effect could have influenced voters. The filing points to press coverage describing the betting ban as a component of Lula's campaign, and to a gathering between the president and people harmed by betting, where he promised more action "very soon".

The filing points to estimates attributed to the federal government of BRL 1.541 billion in lost tax revenue in 2026, BRL 5.150 billion in 2027 and BRL 5.330 billion in 2028. Novo says the government would have to change its 2027 budget to cover the deficit, and that the fiscal impact of several 2026 measures, including the betting law and social benefit changes, would leave around BRL 31 billion in costs for the following year.

Novo makes clear that it is not defending online betting as lawful, nor disputing that the government may restrict the gambling sector; its argument is that how and when the policies were adopted could constitute electoral tampering. The party seeks records explaining the reasoning, technical evaluations and rollout schedules for 35 government measures. Separate challenges to the betting measure have been brought by industry operators and other parties at the Supreme Federal Court. At the TSE, the question now is whether the allegations should proceed and Lula and Alckmin should respond; the court has not yet found that the claimed electoral abuse took place.