Brazil’s Lula orders sports betting ban days before election

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has signed a provisional measure banning online sports betting, days before the country’s October 4 first-round election. The move affects an industry that has become a major sponsor of Brazilian football clubs. Finance Minister Dario Durigan said no further deposits could be made into betting websites in Brazil.

He also announced an immediate ban on new advertising contracts, while existing agreements will become void after October 6. Durigan said that, from that date, there would be no legal betting website, application or sponsorship in the country. The measure still requires approval by Congress before it can become permanent law.

The government said it had granted 85 betting licences, each valued at 30 million reais ($5.7 million), and that those payments would not be refunded. It said more than 60 billion reais ($11 billion) had flowed from families to legal betting companies. Lula described gambling as a public-health issue and compared it to cancer.

He said he had spoken with a young man who had attempted suicide three times because of gambling addiction, adding that he had chosen what he called a necessary and drastic response. The ban has drawn opposition from football clubs and industry representatives. Flamengo called it a heavy blow to Brazilian sport, saying the effects could reach professional and youth football, women’s football, Olympic sports and other competitions.

The National Association of Games and Lotteries, representing licensed operators, said prohibition could push gamblers towards illegal platforms. It also warned of lost tax revenue and jobs, noting that the sector paid 9.95 billion reais ($1.73 billion) in federal taxes during 2025. Right-wing Senator Flavio Bolsonaro, Lula’s reported rival in a close election, called the decision desperate, populist, hypocritical and election-driven.