Brazil's Online Betting Ban Takes Effect as Lula's Measure Halts New Deposits
Published
Brazil's ban on fixed-odds betting took effect on September 25 when Provisional Measure 1,394, signed by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva at a ceremony in São Paulo, appeared in an extra edition of the official gazette. It prohibits operating, offering, brokering and advertising sports and online-game bets nationwide, including by operators based abroad, and bars new money from entering betting accounts from publication. Sites and apps must go offline after 10 days, and the 85 federal licences, which cost R$30 million each, end after 30 days without refund. Unsettled bets are voided with refunds, and bettors have until October 5 to withdraw balances.