Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said on 22 October 2026 that online betting will not return to Brazil, three days before a presidential runoff that Datafolha shows tied at 50% of valid votes each. Lula defended the Brazil betting ban he signed on 25 September during a live broadcast on his YouTube channel with federal deputy André Janones (Rede-MG).
What Lula said
The broadcast, a campaign event hosted with Janones, had passed 6.6 million views on YouTube by 23 October. Seven guests joined, among them Nath Finanças (Nathália Rodrigues), a financial educator who creates content for low-income families and has sat on the Presidency’s Economic and Social Sustainable Development Council since 2023, according to Poder360’s list of participants.
Nath Finanças had earlier pressed Lula on gambling debt during an appearance on the public TV programme Sem Censura. Addressing her directly on the broadcast, Lula said:
And I can tell you, Nath: betting won’t come back. Whoever wants to make money, go to work.
Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, President, Federative Republic of Brazil, on a YouTube live broadcast (translated from Portuguese)
Lula said he decided to act after meeting indebted young people at the Palácio da Alvorada, some owing between R$4,000 and R$24,000 from betting, and referred to people who had attempted suicide after losing money, Poder360 reported.
We have to put an end to this plague, because if we don’t, betting will put an end to the Brazilian people.
Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, President, Federative Republic of Brazil (translated from Portuguese)
He also said that, if re-elected, he may create a civil society secretariat to advise households on personal finances and suggested Nath Finanças could work in it.
Brazil betting ban status
Provisional Measure (MP) 1,394/2026 amends Law 14,790/2023 and bans the operation, offer, intermediation and advertising of fixed-odds betting, covering sports bets and online games, both online and in person. It applies to federally authorised and offshore operators alike. Other lottery products are excluded.
The MP has been in force since publication but lapses unless Congress approves it. Lula first called for a ban on online betting platforms in April. The 85 operators holding federal authorisations each paid R$30m for five-year licences, and the MP provides no refund of the fee.
Trade bodies, broadcasters and football clubs have challenged the MP at the Supreme Federal Court (STF). Justice Luiz Fux, the rapporteur, is expected to rule after the 25 October runoff, while the Attorney General’s Office (AGU) has asked him to keep the ban in full.
Next steps
Lula faces Flávio Bolsonaro in the runoff on 25 October, the same day the federal betting authorisations lapse. In the first round on 4 October, Flávio Bolsonaro took 47.03% and Lula 45.16%, according to the Superior Electoral Court (TSE).
Congress must vote on the MP within 60 days of publication, a period that ends on 23 November and can be extended once by another 60 days. The parliamentary recess from 23 December pauses the clock. The president elected on 25 October takes office on 5 January 2027.
Source: Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, official YouTube channel
