Lula Announces Ban on Online Sports Betting Ahead of Presidential Election

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva announced a ban on online sports betting and casinos on Friday, just over a week before the first round of a presidential election in which he is seeking a fourth term. The provisional measure immediately halts new deposits on betting platforms, though users will be able to withdraw remaining funds until 5 October; Congress must approve the measure within 120 days for it to remain permanently in force.

Finance Minister Dario Durigan announced the ban alongside Lula, saying, 'It is no longer possible to deposit money into betting sites in the country.' Lula described the betting industry as a 'cancer', declaring that 'either we remove the tumour, or it kills us.' Brazil's online betting market has grown rapidly since a regulatory framework was introduced in 2023, accompanied by aggressive advertising, and opinion polls have shown strong public opposition to the industry, which has been blamed for widespread household debt.

The move drew a sharp response from Flávio Bolsonaro, the right-wing senator and son of imprisoned former president Jair Bolsonaro, who is running neck-and-neck with Lula in the polls and accused his rival of playing politics with the timing of the ban. Brazilian football clubs also raised concerns, warning that the ban could cost them significant income, as thirteen of the country's twenty top-flight clubs currently carry betting companies as their main shirt sponsors.