Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has ordered a ban on sports betting websites, a major source of sponsorship for the country’s football clubs, days before the presidential election in which he is seeking a fourth term.
The decision comes amid a rapid expansion of gambling in Brazil, with concerns that betting has pushed many people into debt.
Opinion polls have also indicated strong public opposition to the industry, which Lula has previously described as a “cancer.”
Finance Minister Dario Durigan announced the measure on Friday at an event attended by Lula, saying bettors would no longer be able to deposit money into betting platforms operating in the country.
“It is no longer possible to deposit money into betting sites in the country,” Durigan said.
The ban is among a series of measures announced by Lula ahead of the first round of voting scheduled for October 4.
The president is seeking another term amid a closely contested race against right-wing Senator Flavio Bolsonaro, according to opinion polls.
Brazil’s betting industry has expanded significantly since the government introduced a regulatory framework in 2023.
The growth has been accompanied by extensive advertising campaigns featuring influencers and sports personalities across digital platforms and public spaces.
The industry has also become deeply connected to Brazilian football. Thirteen of the country’s 20 top-flight clubs have betting companies as their principal shirt sponsors, while prominent footballers, including Neymar and Vinicius Junior, have featured in advertisements promoting betting services.
The government said 85 betting licences had been issued, with each licence carrying a 30 million reais ($5.7 million) fee that would not be refunded.
Durigan further announced an immediate prohibition on new advertising agreements involving betting companies. Existing sponsorship and advertising contracts, he said, would become invalid after October 6.
“From that date, there will be no site, no application and no legal sponsorship of bets in the country,” the minister said.
The decision has drawn criticism from Flamengo, one of Brazil’s biggest football clubs, which described the measure as a “heavy blow to Brazilian sports.”
The club warned that the impact could extend beyond professional football to youth development programmes, women’s football, Olympic sports and other competitions.
“Brazil spent years debating how to regulate sports betting. One cannot establish a rule, induce companies and institutions to make commitments based on it, and then, overnight, overhaul the entire regulatory framework,” Flamengo said in a statement.
Brazil bans sports betting days before presidential election