Brazil bans online casinos and sports betting: what happened and what comes next
Less than two years after opening a licensed market, Brazil has unexpectedly decided to ban online gambling. Here’s what the state gambling ban covers, who it hits, why it happened, and what could happen next.
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On 25 September 2026, Brazil’s president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, signed an emergency order banning online casinos and sports betting across the country. Since 6 October, every licensed betting site and app in Brazil has been blocked.
It’s one of the biggest U-turns the gambling world has seen. Brazil only opened its regulated market in January 2025, and it quickly became the largest in Latin America. Some of the biggest operators in the world had bet heavily on it.
What did Brazil ban?
Brazil banned the running, offering and advertising of online casino games and fixed-odds sports betting, for local and offshore sites alike. Fixed-odds betting is the standard kind of bet you’d place with a bookmaker, where the odds are locked in when you bet.
The ban came through Provisional Measure 1,394/2026. A provisional measure is an emergency order the Brazilian president can sign that takes effect straight away, but it needs Congress to approve it later to become permanent. Locally, it’s been nicknamed “the end of the bets” order.
Early reports suggested the government would only ban online casinos and leave sports betting alone. The final order went further and covered both.
Why did Brazil do it?
The government says online gambling has fuelled household debt and gambling addiction, and that the rules brought in two years ago didn’t stop the harm. Finance Minister Dario Durigan announced the ban, telling Brazilians that “no more money can be deposited onto betting sites in Brazil.” Health Minister Alexandre Padilha went further, describing online gambling as a disease rather than a game.
The ban is popular with voters. An Atlas/Bloomberg poll found that 75% of Brazilians agreed online betting should be banned. The timing raised eyebrows too. Lula signed the order nine days before the first round of Brazil’s presidential election on 4 October, where he faced Senator Flávio Bolsonaro. Bolsonaro called the ban “populist, hypocritical and politically motivated”.
How did the shutdown work?
Players in Brazil had until 23:59 on 5 October to withdraw their money, and sites went dark the next day. Deposits stopped the moment the order was signed.
| Date | What happened |
|---|---|
| 25 September | Order signed. No new deposits from this point |
| 2 October | Central Bank bans Pix, bank transfer and boleto payments to betting sites |
| 5 October | Last day for players to withdraw their balances |
| 6 October | App stores, internet providers and Brazil’s internet steering committee start blocking betting sites and apps |
| 9 to 14 October | Banks return any money players didn’t withdraw |
| 25 October | Operating licences end |
Pix is Brazil’s instant payment system, and most Brazilians use it to move money day to day. Cutting it off from betting sites was the government’s way of making sure money couldn’t keep flowing in through the back door.
Which gambling companies are affected?
Every licensed operator in Brazil has had to shut down, from local brands to some of the biggest international groups.
Two listed groups have already put numbers on the damage.
| Company | Brands you might know | Brazilian brand | Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entain | Ladbrokes, Coral, bwin | Sportingbet | Online growth outlook cut to 4% to 6%. Brazil was expected to make up about 5% of its online revenue |
| Flutter | FanDuel, Paddy Power, Betfair | Betnacional | About $70 million off 2026 revenue if Brazil stays shut for the rest of the year |
Entain said it would follow the ban but was “disappointed” that it came without consulting the industry. Its shares fell 4% the day it spoke to investors.
Brazilian football is taking a hit too. Betting firms were among the biggest shirt sponsors in the country, and the ban is expected to leave Série A clubs around R$1 billion short in sponsorship money. Flamengo, Botafogo, Fluminense, Grêmio and Cruzeiro have all spoken out against it.
Does the ban affect players outside Brazil?
No. The ban only applies in Brazil, and these brands keep running as normal in every other country where they’re licensed. Betano, Sportingbet and the rest are licensed market by market, so a shutdown in Brazil doesn’t touch their sites elsewhere.
The bigger question for the rest of the world is whether other countries follow. Most regulators have gone the other way, tightening the rules around online gambling rather than banning it. The UK’s 10x cap on bonus wagering is one recent example. Brazil is the first major regulated market to reverse course this sharply, and other governments will be watching how it plays out.
What happens next?
The ban is temporary by design, and its future now sits with Brazil’s Congress and Supreme Court. Congress has 60 days to vote on the measure, which can be extended once by another 60. That clock pauses over the year-end break, so a final vote could slip into early 2027.
Industry groups, including the National Association of Games and Lotteries (ANJL) and the Brazilian Institute of Responsible Gambling (IBJR), have challenged the ban at the Supreme Court. They argue it will push players towards illegal offshore casinos, with no guarantee they’ll ever get paid. Justice Luiz Fux has yet to rule. In a twist, the government has also asked the Supreme Court to strike down the core of the laws that created the licensed market in the first place.
There are four ways this could end. Congress could turn the ban into law, rewrite it, or reject it. It could also let it lapse without a vote, which would bring back the old rules. Either way, the operating licences end on 25 October, months before Congress is likely to decide.
Sources
- Wikipedia, Provisional Measure 1394/2026. en.wikipedia.org
- UPI, Brazil blocks online betting, gambling platforms, 6 October 2026. upi.com
- Brasil de Fato, Brazil bans online betting, 2 October 2026. brasildefato.com.br
- CDC Gaming, Brazil prepares to ban online casinos: reports, 20 September 2026. cdcgaming.com
- The Rio Times, Brazil Bans Online Betting: Deposits Stop, Sites Go Dark on 6 October. riotimesonline.com
- BNLData, Central Bank prohibits Pix, TED and boleto payments for fixed-odds betting, 2 October 2026. bnldata.com.br
- Reuters via Euronext, Betting firms Flutter and Entain warn of hit from Brazil’s online betting ban, 28 September 2026. live.euronext.com
- Yogonet, Brazil online gambling ban forces Flutter and Entain to revise 2026 outlooks, 29 September 2026. yogonet.com
- Finance Football, Brazil bans online gambling and betting, wiping R$1 billion from Serie A, 26 September 2026. financefootball.com
- Latin Times, Brazil’s betting ban just torched $200M in football sponsorships. Now the courts decide. latintimes.com
- The Coin Republic, Brazil Gambling Ban: What Happens If Congress Doesn’t Approve It in 120 Days, 7 October 2026. thecoinrepublic.com
- Bitcoin.com News, Brazil Calls Its Own Betting Laws Unconstitutional as Shutdown Begins, 5 October 2026. news.bitcoin.com
Frequently asked questions
Is online gambling now illegal in Brazil?
Yes, for now. Online casino games and fixed-odds sports betting are banned under Provisional Measure 1,394/2026. The ban becomes permanent only if Brazil’s Congress approves it.
Can I still bet online while travelling in Brazil?
No. Brazil now blocks betting sites and apps at the internet provider level, and payments to betting sites are barred. Most operators also restrict access by country, so your usual account won’t work there either.
Will Betano or Sportingbet close in other countries?
No. Both brands lose their Brazilian business, but their sites in other countries run under separate local licences and aren’t affected.
Why do industry groups say the ban could backfire?
They warn it will push players towards unlicensed offshore sites. Those sites offer none of the protections of a licensed market, like guaranteed payouts, identity checks and deposit limits.
