New bill aims to ban online gambling in Brazil just one year after its regulation

(AsiaGameHub) –   A legislative proposal from Pedro Uczai, Bill PL-1808/2026, aims to prohibit every type of online gambling, which encompasses sports betting.

Brazil.- A member of the Workers’ Party (Partido dos Trabalhadores – PT) has presented Bill PL-1808/2026 to Congress, aiming to impose a nationwide ban on all online gambling. This initiative follows just over a year after the commencement of a regulated online gambling market in Brazil.

The draft law, submitted by deputy Pedro Uczai, surpasses President Lula da Silva’s previous call to ban online casino gaming by demanding the full revocation of PL 2626/2023, the Bets Law that enabled the start of regulated online gambling in Brazil on January 1, 2025. This would also outlaw sports betting.

The proposed legislation declares: “This Law prohibits, throughout the national territory, the exploitation, operation, offering, availability, promotion, advertising, intermediation and processing of transactions related to fixed-odds betting.”

This action would effectively deconstruct the entire online gambling structure in Brazil, affecting all aspects from platform operations and advertising to sponsorships, payment systems, and intermediary services. The bill calls for the removal of betting apps and websites within 15 to 60 days, the blocking of financial transactions associated with gambling, and severe penalties for operators, affiliates, and service providers who break the law.

The proposal is said to be supported by 68 PT lawmakers, who present it as a necessary step to safeguard public health and avert economic damage. Uczai contended that the PT government was obligated to act because of “rising household debt, financial instability and mental health issues” associated with the growth of online gambling.

However, President Lula da Silva has not made any public statement regarding the proposal, even though he previously voiced a wish to ban online casino gaming in Brazil during his campaign for the presidential election in October, where he will seek a fourth term. Lula was anticipated to advocate for a ban on online casinos and/or advertising restrictions, not a total overturn of the gambling legislation he enacted in December 2023.

Brazil’s federal tax authority, Receita Federal, has projected R$13bn (€2.17bn) in revenue from gambling for 2026, funds that are crucial for the government’s social programs. The bill is also expected to encounter significant opposition from Brazilian football leagues and media companies, which now rely heavily on betting sponsorships.

Earlier this week, the Federal District Football Federation (FFDF) and National Football Union (Sinafut) issued a statement against bills already under consideration in Congress that seek bans on gambling advertising. They argue that an advertising prohibition would lead to a “collapse of the economic and financial model of the entire Brazilian football ecosystem.”

These bills include Bill 1212/2025 from PSD federal deputy Saulo Pedroso. Last week, PODE’s Rodrigo Gambele submitted an urgent request to accelerate the processing of that bill.