A bill filed in Brazil’s Chamber of Deputies 3 hours ago today would require betting operators to refund every bettor’s net loss, defined as deposits minus withdrawals, corrected for inflation from the day the money was paid in. The text sets no start date for the bets it covers.
PL 5,502/2026, by Federal Deputy Ricardo Abrão (PSDB-RJ), was presented to the Chamber’s directing board (Mesa) at 11:42 Brasília time on 1 October. It is a proposal only: it has not been sent to any committee and no processing regime has been set.
It would create the Lei de Restituição Integral e Reparação ao Apostador (Full Restitution and Bettor Reparation Law). The justification cites Provisional Measure (MP) 1,394 of 25 September 2026, which banned fixed-odds betting and ordered the market closed.
Net losses become refundable
Article 3 lists ten cases in which operators must pay bettors back. Most require a fault, such as unpaid prizes, bets taken from self-excluded players or unauthorised debits. The first requires none:
“I – a perda líquida total apurada na conta do apostador” (Art. 3)
“I – the total net loss calculated on the bettor’s account”
Article 2 defines that loss:
“a diferença positiva entre o total de recursos efetivamente desembolsados pelo apostador e os valores por ele efetivamente recuperados/sacados junto ao operador” (Art. 2, IV)
“the positive difference between the total funds actually paid in by the bettor and the amounts actually recovered or withdrawn from the operator”
Every bettor who deposited more than they withdrew would be owed the difference. The justification describes the obligation in the same terms. Article 8 adds inflation correction from the date of each payment, and Article 7 bans fees or discounts on the refund.
No start date
“inclusive durante período anterior à cessação da atividade no território nacional” (Art. 1)
“including during the period before the activity ceased in national territory”
The text sets no start date and no cut-off. On its wording, it covers every bet a bettor placed with an operator. The operator definition makes no reference to authorisation:
“a pessoa jurídica que tenha explorado, ofertado, intermediado ou disponibilizado aposta de quota fixa a pessoa localizada no território nacional” (Art. 2, II)
“the legal entity that has operated, offered, intermediated or made available fixed-odds betting to a person located in national territory”
Article 11 makes controllers, administrators, economic group members and successors jointly liable. Closure, licence revocation, judicial recovery or bankruptcy would not extinguish claims (Art. 9), and missing records cannot be used against the bettor (Art. 6).
Legal questions and gaps
The retroactive reach is the provision most exposed to challenge. Article 5, XXXVI of the Federal Constitution protects completed legal acts (ato jurídico perfeito) from later laws, and the bill would apply to bets already settled under a licensed regime.
Three points are left open. The bill does not say whether operators pay automatically or only on request. The 10-business-day payment deadline runs from the completion of the calculation, for which no deadline is set. Bonus credits must appear on the bettor’s statement (Art. 5), and Article 4 does not say whether they reduce the net loss.
The bill was filed three days before Brazil’s 4 October general election, in which all 513 Chamber seats are up for vote.
Abrão’s justification cites a Ministry of Finance and Central Bank estimate of around R$1.7 billion in balances and prizes owed to more than 22 million bettors. That figure covers money still in accounts. PL 5,502 targets money already lost. The text says the cost falls on operators and their controllers, not the National Treasury.
The Mesa must now send the bill to committees, while the industry’s challenge to MP 1,394 at the Supreme Court remains pending. It joins PL 5,153/2026 among bills targeting the sector this year.
FAQ
Is PL 5,502/2026 law?
No. It was filed on 1 October 2026 and has not been debated or voted on. If passed, it would take effect on publication (Art. 16), with no transition period.
Who would get money back?
Any individual identified by CPF (taxpayer number) whose deposits exceeded withdrawals, plus bettors owed balances or prizes, or whose money was taken after self-exclusion or without authorisation (Art. 3).
How would the net loss be calculated?
Per CPF, across all transactions with the operator: deposits and transfers, minus withdrawals and refunds already received (Art. 4). Operators must supply a free statement within 10 business days of a request and pay within 10 business days of completing the calculation.
How does a bill become law in Brazil?
The Mesa sends the bill to thematic committees, which either approve it conclusively or pass it to a plenary vote, depending on the regime. An ordinary law needs a simple majority in each house. After the Chamber, the Senate reviews it, and any Senate amendments return to the Chamber. The president then has 15 business days to sign or veto it, and Congress can override a veto by an absolute majority in a joint session. Most bills still pending when the legislature ends in January 2027 are archived, and their author can request revival within the first 180 days of the next one.
Who would pay?
The operator, with joint liability for controllers, administrators, group companies and successors (Art. 11). No public fund is involved.
Source: Câmara dos Deputados
