Lula issues executive order to shut down online gambling ahead of tight election
President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva signed an order banning online betting in Brazil, a move that takes effect immediately but needs congressional approval within 120 days.
President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva announced an executive order that prohibits all online betting operations across Brazil, effective right away but subject to a 120-day congressional review to stay in force. The decision arrives less than two years after the government established a regulatory regime for the industry and amid a close presidential race with right-wing Senator Flavio Bolsonaro. Officials say rising gambling spend is eroding family budgets and fueling record debt levels, a view echoed by Finance Minister Dario Durigan who called the issue a public-health crisis.
Recent surveys indicate that about three-quarters of Brazilians favor a total ban on online betting. Senator Bolsonaro responded at a campaign event in Rio de Janeiro, labeling the measure populist, hypocritical, and driven by political motives.
Why it matters
The ban could reshape Brazil's growing gambling market and influence voter sentiment ahead of the October election.
How this story developed
- Sep 3 Lula runs ultra-cautious campaign as poll gap with Bolsonaro narrows
- Sep 13 A new poll released in early September records Bolsonaro at 46% and Lula at 45% in a hypothetical runoff.
In this story
Related stories
15 in this thread