Federal government bans fixed odds betting in Brazil

On Friday (25), the federal government announced a total ban on fixed-odd betting in the country, known as bets. The measure, announced nine days before the elections, was formalized in a Provisional Measure (MP) signed by President Lula.

The statement was made during the event "Together with Haddad and Lula", held in front of the Sé Cathedral, in the center of São Paulo. The president did not participate in the event, which was attended by Marina Silva (Rede) and Simone Tebet (PSB), candidates for the Senate.

Rebutting criticism that the government started to act against betting only recently, just a few days before the election, Haddad stated that the discussion about the sector has been going on since the regulations approved in 2024.

🔎 Fixed odds betting was legalized at the end of the Michel Temer government, through Law 13,756, of 2018. The rule provided for the sector to be regulated within four years, a period that ended in December 2022, already during the Jair Bolsonaro government, without the operating and inspection rules for companies having been edited.

According to Haddad, Lula had already signaled, at the time of the regulation, that he could adopt tougher measures if the rules were not sufficient to face the problems associated with online betting.

The candidate stated that the tightening of measures occurred after the emergence of suspicions of using the platforms for money laundering and currency evasion.

"We had an operation against bets by the Federal Revenue Service and the Federal Police less than a month ago. Even to launder money they are using bets. Not only to rip off the Brazilian people with these bets, but for currency evasion, money laundering. Then there came a point where it was no longer possible", he stated.

On August 28, the Federal Public Ministry (MPF) and the Federal Revenue launched Operation Jogo de Sombras to investigate suspicions of tax evasion, currency evasion and money laundering linked to betting.

According to the MPF and Revenue, the NSX group, owner of BetNacional "would have generated more than R$5 billion in 2025 alone".

In addition to the suspicion of money laundering, one of the points involved in the public debate on the topic is the relationship between betting and public health, including the fight against gambling disorder (a disease of people addicted to gambling). There are those who gamble from time to time without major consequences, while other people continue gambling even after accumulating debts, family conflicts and suffering.