Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has signed a provisional order banning all online sports betting and casino games just days before the presidential election.
The decree, issued Friday, labels the rapidly growing internet betting industry a "cancer" and states that either the issue must be eradicated or it will continue to harm families across the country.
Online gambling was legalized in 2018, but critics say it has proliferated with little regulation, leading to widespread household income losses and addiction problems.
Lula, who is 80 and campaigning for a fourth term, said the measure must pass Congress within 120 days to become permanent, warning that without restriction, betting companies profit at the expense of Brazilian households.
Flávio Bolsonaro, the son of former president Jair Bolsonaro, slammed the crackdown as a political ploy, calling it "populist" and “hypocritical.”
Public sentiment has shifted in favor of a ban: a recent Atlas/Bloomberg survey found that 59.9% of adults support prohibition of internet betting.
The provisional order also introduces tougher penalties for fixed‑odds betting crimes. Lula touted the crackdown at the United Nations General Assembly, saying the industry “transforms addiction into profit.”
As Brazil gears up for a contentious first round of voting, the gambling ban arrives amid mounting criticism of the industry’s unchecked growth under the previous administration.
