Opinion column argues Brazil betting ban removes bettor protections
Regulation1 min read
An opinion column on a Brazilian betting industry site argued that the ban under Provisional Measure 1.394/2026 will push bettors towards illegal sites. The columnist said regulated operators provided identity checks, spending limits, self-exclusion and regulatory recourse, while citing an estimate that R$25bn a year could move to the illegal market.
Brazil's government banned betting under Provisional Measure 1.394, pushing gamblers towards unaccountable sites, an opinion column argues. The measure took the sector from a regulated market that paid taxes and authorisation fees to a ban in less than two months.
Bill PL 5.477/2026 would criminalise an activity the government had authorised, regulated and taxed.
The columnist says regulated betting had identity checks and blocked under-18s, offered spending and time limits and self-exclusion, and prohibited credit card use. Bettors could complain to a business registered in Brazil and to regulator SPA/MF.
H2 Gambling Capital estimates that R$25bn a year in betting volume is moving to the illegal market. The columnist says monitoring reports show illegal platforms growing after the measure and that Brazil has had no regulated betting site in operation since Casa de Apostas went offline.
The columnist says the health minister cited a suicide risk 15 times higher without identifying a source. The columnist says authors of a study behind a R$38.8bn social-cost figure acknowledged finding an association rather than a cause.
The columnist argues that the ban has deprived the government of funds that Law 14.790 allocated to health, public safety and sport.