Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva signed an executive order Friday banning fixed-odds sports betting, effective immediately, one week before the country's presidential election. The ban prohibits operation, offering, advertising and intermediation of fixed-odds betting and requires congressional approval within 120 days to remain permanent. Lula cited the measure as necessary to combat family debt and addiction, describing betting as "like a cancer," while polls suggest the ban enjoys broad public support among Brazilians.
The decision ends months of escalating government action against online betting, which the country's central bank estimates generates 30 billion reais monthly in spending. Brazil legalized online betting in 2018, but the sector expanded rapidly under former President Jair Bolsonaro, prompting widespread public backlash during last year's FIFA World Cup due to ubiquitous advertising. Lula's administration previously blocked over 2,000 irregular betting websites linked to criminal organizations in its effort to regulate the sector.
Opposition candidate Flávio Bolsonaro characterized the ban as an "electoral measure" timed before voting. A 2025 study attributed 38.8 billion reais in annual social costs to betting and gambling, citing links to increased suicide and depression rates among Brazilians.
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