bet365 has said Brazil’s ban on online betting and gaming is unconstitutional and will push customers to the illegal market, in an exclusive statement to The iGaming Europe.
The operator also confirmed it is backing the legal challenges being prepared by Brazil’s betting trade bodies.
President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva signed Provisional Measure (MP) 1.394 on 25 September, prohibiting sports betting and online casino. Licensed sites must go offline from 6 October, and players have until 11:59pm on 5 October to withdraw their balances.
bet365’s statement
A bet365 spokesperson told The iGaming Europe:
“bet365 is disappointed and deeply concerned for the ongoing welfare of our customers caused by the contents of the presidential decree banning online betting and gaming in Brazil.
We are firmly of the view that this decree is unconstitutional and will only serve to push customers away from the regulated sector to the unsafe illegal black market online which pays no tax and has no standards on responsible gaming.
bet365 supports the trade bodies with their legal challenges to this decision.
We are committed to supporting our customers through this time of uncertainty.”
Trade bodies prepare court action
bet365 received its Brazilian authorisation in February 2025, when the Secretariat of Prizes and Bets (SPA) approved a batch of 21 operators. Each licence cost R$30 million for a five-year term. MP 1.394 extinguishes the authorisations 30 days after publication and rules out any refund of the fee.
The National Association of Games and Lotteries (ANJL), which warned before the measure was signed that a ban would push players to illegal sites, has said it is already taking steps to reverse the measure in court. Brazilian Institute for Responsible Gaming (IBJR) president Carlos Lima has said he expects the sector to turn to the courts.
The statement comes weeks after bet365 announced plans to cut 340 jobs in Stoke, Malta and Gibraltar.
What happens next
The measure took effect immediately but lapses unless Congress approves it within 120 days, not counting parliamentary recess. Brazil holds the first round of its presidential election on 4 October, two days before licensed sites go dark. The trade bodies’ court challenges and the vote in Congress will decide whether bet365 and the other licensed operators can return.
Source: bet365
