Opposition deputy proposes end of regulated sports betting in Brazil
The Partido Liberal deputy has presented a bill that would allow just 180 days to reverse last year’s regulation of fixed-odds betting.
Brazil.- While President Lula da Silva’s Partido de los Trabajadores (PT) has increasingly taken a stance against the gambling sector with the government’s call to ban online casino gambling in Brazil, some opposition legislators want to go even further. Caroline De Toni, a deputy in the Partido Liberal (PL), the right-wing populist party led by the son of former president Jair Bolsonaro, Flávio Bolsonaro, has proposed turning the clock back on the legalisation of sports betting.
De Toni’s Bill No. 5,153/2026 presented in the Chamber of Deputies on Monday proposes to eliminate last year’s regulation of fixed-odds betting in Brazil and prohibit the operation of betting, including sports betting, virtual events and online games. The bill would allow a mere 180-day transition period for the termination of currently valid authorisations. After this period, companies would be prohibited from receiving new bets or deposits and would have another 90 days to pay prizes and fully return the balances held in bettors’ accounts.
The proposal would also prohibit gambling advertising, sponsorships, bonuses, loyalty programmes and paid activity by affiliates and influencers to promote betting. Advertising and sponsorship contracts in effect at the time the law is published could be maintained for a maximum of 30 days, without the possibility of renewal.
Proposed enforcement against sports betting in Brazil
The text provides for the blocking of websites and applications, the removal of advertisements, and the interruption of financial transactions related to betting. The measures would also cover digital wallets, virtual assets, and operations carried out by service providers located abroad.
According to the text, anyone who exploits, manages, organises, or economically maintains fixed-odds betting after the transition period could be held criminally liable, with a penalty of two to five years imprisonment. The text provides for fines that can reach R$ 2bn (€333m) per infraction and prevents the granting of new authorisations for fixed-odds betting after the eventual publication of the law. Bettors would not be necessarily be held responsible.
In her justification, Caroline De Toni states that the proposal aims to “reverse the legislative option that allowed the dissemination of fixed-odds betting in Brazil” due to what she classifies as accumulated economic, social, and health evidence since the opening of the market.
The congresswoman cites data from the National Committee of Secretaries of Finance, Revenue or Taxation of the States and the Federal District (Comsefaz), according to which the average monthly net transfer attributable to betting between October 2024 and March 2026 was estimated at R$ 4.7bn (€784.8m). In 2025, the total is estimated to have reached R$ 62.5bn (€10.1bn).
The congresswoman acknowledges the argument that regulation allows for tax collection and oversight but maintains that “the existence of public revenue cannot, in itself, justify the continuation of an activity” when the economic and social costs affect families.
De Toni states that “between preserving the revenue of betting platforms and preserving the income of Brazilian families, the State’s priority must be with families.”
The bill still needs to go through the legislative process in the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate. The timing of the proposal shows that gambling in Brazil has become a significant political issue in the run-up to federal elections on October 4. There has been growing antipathy to the sector among the public due to growing indebtedness, leading lawmakers to see action against the sector as a potential political win.
