Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva signed a temporary order banning all types of online gambling, including sports betting and online casinos, less than two weeks before the presidential election.
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva signed a temporary order prohibiting all sports betting and online casinos; the measure will remain in effect only if approved by Congress within 120 days.
Lula said that the online gambling industry, which has been permitted in Brazil since 2018, has grown rapidly and is blamed for causing many households to lose income due to gambling addiction. He compared the industry to a cancer and warned that if the problem is not eliminated, it could cause greater damage.
The Brazilian president also stated that online gambling has expanded without adequate regulation, especially regarding measures to prevent children and adolescents from accessing gambling platforms. He affirmed that the government will not allow gambling companies to profit from the loss of income and lives of Brazilian families.
Lula also recounted meeting families who, in some cases, have sold household assets to fund gambling.
In addition to the online gambling ban, Lula signed another law to increase criminal penalties related to offenses involving fixed-odds betting.
This move comes ahead of the first round of Brazil's presidential election on 4 Oct, in which Lula is running for a fourth term. Recent polls reflect a close race between Lula and Flávio Bolsonaro.
Flávio Bolsonaro criticized Lula's crackdown on online gambling as a move "aimed at gaining popularity, insincere, and politically motivated," according to his remarks during a campaign event in Rio de Janeiro on Friday, Reuters reported.
Although many forms of gambling, such as casinos and slot machines, remain illegal in Brazil, online gambling has become very popular since it was authorized in 2018.
Meanwhile, an AtlasIntel survey conducted for Bloomberg News and released this week found that 59.9% of respondents viewed online gambling as solely harmful, while 28.6% believed it caused more harm than benefit. The survey included 5,015 eligible voters between 17-22 Sep 2026.
Source:BBC
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