Online Gambling in Brazil to Be Fully Banned — Decision Expected Today

^{Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, President of Brazil / © Shutterstock}

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva is expected to announce a complete ban on online gambling in the country on 25 September, CNN Brasil reports.

The ban is expected to cover online casinos and sports betting.

The authorities initially discussed a softer option — banning only online casinos and restricting bookmaker advertising. Lula later instructed officials to work on a complete ban.

The president is expected to present the new restrictions in São Paulo at 5:00 pm local time.

A complete ban on online gambling could significantly reduce sponsorship revenue for Brazilian football clubs. The measure has previously been opposed by Flamengo, Palmeiras and Corinthians, among others. According to the clubs, betting companies bring Brazilian football around BRL 1 billion ($192.6 million) a year.

To mitigate the possible consequences of the ban, the authorities are considering concessional lending for clubs.

Lula has linked the need for restrictions in part to the impact of gambling on household budgets. The authorities have already blocked access to betting for recipients of social benefits and participants in debt restructuring programmes.

Another government measure being prepared is also linked to the same issue — reducing household debt burdens. The authorities are considering buying old consumer debts from banks and companies where creditors have little expectation of recovering the money.

The impact of betting on household debt also featured in Lula’s recent speech at the UN General Assembly. He said the spread of betting platforms was contributing to higher debt levels and gambling addiction among Brazilians.

Brazil’s regulated betting market was launched on 1 January 2025.