Lula Wins Fourth Term as Brazil's Betting Ban Heads to Congress
Brazil's betting ban now has a clearer political runway. President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva won a fourth term on October 25, 2026, which keeps in office the government that shut down the country's licensed online betting market in the first place.
Lula beat Senator Flavio Bolsonaro by 51.79% to 48.21% of valid votes, a margin of about 4.4 million ballots, according to Reuters. He takes office for the 2027 to 2030 term, as confirmed on election night by the president of the Superior Electoral Court, per Agencia Senade.
What The Ban Actually Does
The ban sits in Provisional Measure 1,394, which Lula signed on September 25, 2026. Under Article 1 of the measure text, the operation, offer, intermediation and advertising of fixed-odds betting are prohibited nationwide. That covers bets on real sporting events and virtual online casino games, including operators based abroad that serve customers in Brazil.
The measure also set a short transition. Operators had to take their sites and apps offline 10 days after publication, and open bets that had not been settled by then are void, with stakes returned in full. Existing authorisations end 30 days after publication, and operators are not entitled to a refund of their licence fees.
Banks and payment firms are barred from processing fixed-odds betting transactions, apart from those needed to close accounts and return player funds. Advertising, marketing and sponsorship linked to fixed-odds betting are banned in any medium, physical or digital.
Congress Holds The Next Move
A provisional measure has the force of law straight away but has to be converted by Congress. The Congress tracking page lists a deliberation deadline of November 23, 2026, with the measure locking the legislative agenda from November 9. That 60-day period is extended automatically by another 60 days if the vote is not finished.
A joint committee was designated on September 30, but as of October 26 the page still showed it as awaiting installation. The window for amendments has closed. Only a conversion bill approved by both houses could change the text that is currently in force.
Where The Candidates Stood
Bolsonaro called the measure a populist move when he spoke to reporters on October 7, according to CNN Brasil. He said Congress should debate the end of betting calmly and outside an election period. He did not say outright that he opposed the measure, and he repeated that he had voted against the 2023 regulation of the sector. Reuters reports that he has since said he does not recognise the result and will ask for the election to be annulled.
Lula's government has justified the ban on public-health and household-finance grounds. The Congress page summarises the stated aims as reducing family debt, mental health problems and exposure of children and teenagers to betting. Earlier this month a poll found 62% of Brazilians backing the ban.
The first thing to track is whether the joint committee is installed and a rapporteur named, since nothing can reach a floor vote without a committee report. The second is whether November 9 and November 23 pass with the measure converted, amended or left to lapse. For now, the ban remains in force exactly as written, and licensed operators remain offline.
