Brazil has halted new online betting and casino deposits with immediate effect. We saw President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva sign a provisional measure on Friday, September 25, 2026, less than two years after the regulated market opened in January 2025. According to Focus Gaming News, licensed sites and apps are to be blocked from October 6.
Players may withdraw balances until October 5. Operators must then return leftover funds between October 9 and 14, even if no withdrawal request is filed. Caixa Econômica Federal can help process repayments after October 14 if banks stall.
Finance Minister Fernando Haddad’s stand-in on the briefing, Dario Durigan, called gambling a public-health problem and said earlier SPA rules had not stopped household harm. The Finance Ministry puts annual online-betting spend near 60 billion reais and tax take near 10 billion reais.
Congress must back the measure within 120 days or it lapses. A separate bill would add prison terms of four to six years for people who run or promote sports betting, and two to four years for some payment processors. The first-round presidential vote is October 4.
Brazil Online Betting Ban: Timeline and Industry Pushback
According to Focus Gaming News, nearly 90 licensed operators had each paid about 30 million reais in fees. The National Association of Games and Lotteries said it will go to court and warned of lost jobs, lost tax, and a shift to illegal sites. The Brazilian Institute of Responsible Gaming also criticised the shutdown so soon after formalisation.
Lula tied the ban to family debt and club sponsorships, and announced a 15 billion-reais plan to buy distressed household loans at steep discounts. Opposition candidate Flavio Bolsonaro called the timing populist. State lottery systems may still clash with the federal order.
JPMorgan names Evolution, Allwyn’s Betano unit, Entain, and Flutter among listed groups with Brazil exposure. Watch the October 5–14 money-back window if you hold a licensed-account balance.
