Brazil’s betting ban remained a flashpoint in final days of presidential runoff
Brazil’s presidential runoff campaign closed with betting policy still contested, as President Lula defended the prohibition and challenger Flávio Bolsonaro faced questions over alternatives for affected clubs and companies.
Brazil’s presidential runoff campaign closed with betting policy still contested. President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva reaffirmed on 22 October his opposition to reopening the market, defending the prohibition as a safeguard against household debt and rejecting the idea that poorer people’s losses should fund football clubs. He also suggested a body to offer financial guidance if re-elected, without detailing a plan.
Challenger Flávio Bolsonaro faced questions over alternatives for clubs and companies affected by the ban. Folha de S.Paulo reported that he had told Flamengo president Luiz Eduardo Baptista he would seek a solution if elected, an account attributed to anonymous sources and dated to 26 September. Bolsonaro had criticised the ban’s scope and legal certainty without pledging full repeal.
A Quaest survey reported by CNN Brasil on 21 October found 11% of respondents who recalled recent government announcements cited the betting prohibition, behind Bolsa Família at 25% and the proposed 6×1 work schedule change at 16%. Provisional Measure 1,394/2026, issued on 25 September, remains in force pending congressional approval and is being challenged at the Supreme Federal Court.
