Lula Defends Betting Ban as Time Runs Short for Congress Decision

A call has been made to the Brazilian Congress to treat provisional measure 1.394/2026 as an urgent matter. Today marks the 45th day of the measure's review. The measure became an urgent agenda item on November 9, but the joint committee that will examine it has still not been set up. Members were appointed on September 30, yet the committee has neither a chair nor a rapporteur.

The measure is legally in force, and 99 amendments have been submitted to it. Urgent status does not automatically halt the legislative agenda. The committee must first review the text, after which it must be read out in the plenary of the Chamber of Deputies.

Lula continues to defend the ban in public despite the delay. In a national television address on November 8, he said that money spent on betting now returns to the economy. He claimed that household consumption, retail sales and industrial output have increased. Lula argued that betting money takes priority over basic necessities, and that families can now buy products such as milk, bread, rice, cooking oil, pasta and coffee first. No economic figures were presented in the speech showing how much spending has shifted from betting to other goods.

The measure was signed on September 25. It bans the operation, offering, intermediation and advertising of sports betting and online casino games. Services that foreign companies provide to customers in Brazil are also covered. Yesterday, Supreme Court Justice Luiz Fux accepted an objection calling for all lawsuits against the measure to be suspended. The judge said conflicting rulings were creating "legal uncertainty" and that Congress should decide on the legality of presidential measures.

The measure also imposes restrictions on betting payments, advertising and sponsorship, and provides for blocking websites and apps. Congress's first review period expires on November 23.