Can Brazil's betting industry win back its responsible gambling narrative?

The Brazilian government banned fixed-odds betting and online games with a provisional measure decree on September 25. A month later, on the day of the presidential runoff, the federal licenses of 85 operators expired. The Supreme Federal Court (STF) has not yet ruled on the request to suspend the ban. Congress may decide by early 2027 whether the measure will be turned into law.

Fellipe Fraga, business and corporate relations director at Stellar Gaming, wrote in a column published on NEXT.io that the sector must look at its own mistakes alongside political factors. According to Fraga, betting companies focused too much on their own advantages in their advertising and competition, and did not show clearly enough how they would protect at-risk players.

Fraga notes that companies have directed their resources toward financial indicators such as customer acquisition cost and return on investment, while neglecting how society views the sector. In his view, although this was not decisive in the election outcome, it reduced the industry's ability to challenge the solution proposed by the government.