Sidônio Palmeira defends online betting ban after Lula’s re-election

Brazil's social communications minister Sidônio Palmeira defended the ban on online betting in an interview with CNN Brasil on 26 October, a day after President Lula's re-election, and said he had been right to suggest the measure. Asked whether he had proposed the ban to the president, Palmeira accepted the suggestion, saying: "Disseram que eu sugeri ao presidente proibir as bets. E tava certo". He said he had faced no pressure during the campaign over the issue and attributed talk of such pressure to the press.

In his victory speech, Lula credited the turnaround to vice-president Geraldo Alckmin, federal deputy André Janones, senator Camilo Santana and the re-elected governor of Piauí, Rafael Fonteles, and did not mention betting. According to the published text of the address, there is no line about betting and no mention of Palmeira. Lula said the election had taught him lessons and promised that digital communication would gain a much larger role in his government, speaking directly to the population without intermediaries.

When Palmeira explained the victory, he linked the result to the 5x2 scale, zero public transport fares and financing for individual micro-entrepreneurs (MEIs); the betting ban was not on his own list of causes. The source reports that after the first round, PT leaders named Palmeira as the main person responsible for Lula's first-round defeat, and that the betting ban was at the centre of an internal dispute: Palmeira favoured a total ban, while PT president Edinho Silva preferred a gradual exit through Congress. The party considered replacing Raul Rabelo, described as Palmeira's right-hand man, with João Santana.

Edinho Silva, PT president and general coordinator of the campaign, told an interview with Broadcast Político that the coordination works as a whole and that successes and mistakes belong to everyone. He said he had considered it a mistake to reopen the debate on imports during the campaign, followed the majority but asked Lula to review the measure to protect small traders. On betting he said: "Sobre as bets, eu só defendi uma condução que garantisse uma transição racional". He said betting could not continue as it was and that the country faces a serious social problem; the rupture by provisional measure, defended by Palmeira, prevailed.

The source reports that after the first round the campaign was reorganised: Camilo Santana shared the general coordination with Edinho Silva and took charge mainly of political articulation and relations with allies, while Fonteles gained space in the communication strategy, including the president's presence on social networks, and joined the team alongside Camilo and Rui Costa, who took over the travel agenda. Alckmin's role also changed, with campaign members arguing for a greater presence by the vice-president and less prominence for the first lady, a view summarised as "menos Janja e mais Alckmin"; the vice-president then travelled more, took part in events and began rebutting Flávio Bolsonaro's economic proposals. Lula stopped talking about betting in the TV Globo interview and the Band debate.

The source states that the betting ban arose from the meeting of Palmeira's thesis, the enthusiasm of Janja and the mobilisation of artists led by Paula Lavigne. It adds that Lula said he will govern with the Congress the people elected, that this Congress will decide the fate of MP 1.394/2026, and that actions against the measure are before the STF.