Supreme Federal Court (STF) Justice Luiz Fux has called a public hearing for 3 November at 10:00 on the economic impact of the Brazil betting ban, Provisional Measure (MP) 1,394/2026, which prohibits fixed-odds betting across the country.
Fux is the rapporteur of the actions asking the court to strike down the MP. He will hear 26 participants in the room of the STF’s Second Panel, among them the Attorney General’s Office (AGU), the Ministry of Finance, betting associations, the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) and 10 football clubs, according to Estado de Minas.
What the Brazil betting ban covers
President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva signed MP 1,394/2026 on 25 September. Article 1 bans the operation, offering, intermediation and advertising of fixed-odds betting in Brazil, online and in person, including by operators based abroad. The ban covers bets on real sports events and on online games.
Under Article 4, every federal and state authorisation granted under Law 14,790/2023 ended 30 days after publication, with no refund of the authorisation fee and no compensation. Operators had 10 days to take down their sites and apps, void unsettled bets and refund customers in full. Those that fail to secure the money for refunds face a daily fine of R$200,000.
The MP also bans betting advertising and sponsorship in all media and stops banks and payment institutions from processing betting transactions. The Ministry of Justice can fine internet platforms and app stores up to 10% of their group’s Brazilian revenue, capped at R$50m per infringement.
Who will be heard
The participants include the groups behind the actions: the National Confederation of Commerce in Goods, Services and Tourism (CNC), the Prosecutor General’s Office (PGR), the National Association of Games and Lotteries (ANJL), the Brazilian Institute for Responsible Gaming (IBJR), the National Association for Legal Certainty in Games and Betting (ANSEJA), the National Association of Mayors and Vice-Mayors (ANPV) and Abracopel, which represents state lottery concessionaires, according to Estado de Minas.
The clubs invited are Flamengo, Fluminense, Botafogo, Cruzeiro, São Paulo, Corinthians, Ponte Preta, Vitória, Guarani and Portuguesa. The broadcasters’ association ABERT, the National Confederation of Industry (CNI), the criminal lawyers’ association ABRACRIM and the Economic Regulation Lab of the State University of Rio de Janeiro are also expected to speak.
The actions argue that the sudden halt to licensed operators’ activity undermines legal certainty, causes losses running into billions of reais and uses an MP to bypass Congress, according to Estado de Minas. The AGU defends the MP and has asked the court to reject the actions, CNN Brasil reported. In early October the AGU asked Fux to keep the betting ban in force.
Timing of the hearing
Fux set the date after the second round of Brazil’s general election so that the hearing could not be read as court interference in the vote, CNN Brasil reported. The parties had asked for urgency, citing the MP’s deadlines and its impact on football clubs.
The ban follows Lula’s call in April for a ban on online betting platforms. It ends a federal regulated market that opened in January 2025 under Law 14,790/2023; our report on its first regulated year has the revenue figures.
Next steps
The hearing opens at 10:00 on 3 November. Under Article 62 of the Constitution, an MP lapses unless Congress converts it into law within 60 days, a term that can be extended once by another 60 days. The first term of MP 1,394/2026 ends on 23 November, according to Estado de Minas.
Source: Supreme Federal Court (STF), Presidency of the Republic of Brazil
