Brazil's betting ban forgotten ahead of election

In Brazil, the government's ban covering betting and online gambling enjoys wide support among voters. In an early October Quaest poll, 64 percent of those who knew about the ban of betting, online gambling and online casinos approved of it. Another 17 percent opposed it despite knowing about it.

However, the picture changed in the second poll the same company conducted between October 17 and 20. 42 percent of voters said they did not remember any of the government measures announced in recent weeks. Among the remembered measures, the increase in Bolsa Família aid ranked first at 25 percent. Ending the six-day work schedule came second at 16 percent. The betting ban is recalled by 11 percent, alongside a package aimed at micro entrepreneurs.

The betting issue has also faded from Lula's own communications. According to a review by Folha de S.Paulo, the average number of betting references per video on Lula's YouTube channel fell from 11 during the first round campaign to four in the second round.

The ban comes through Provisional Measure 1,394, signed on September 25. The regulation prohibits the offering, intermediation and advertising of fixed-odds bets. The permits granted under Law 14,790 of 2023 expire on October 25, the same day as the second round. Flávio Bolsonaro called the ban an attack on legal certainty and did not commit to restoring the permits if elected.