Brazil Bans Fixed‑Odds Bets and Orders Fast Shutdown and Refunds

Overview

• President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva signed provisional measure MP 1.394/2026 on Friday that immediately forbids the offer, intermediation and advertising of fixed‑odds bets and three‑year state and federal authorizations.
• The MP sets a firm timetable: bettors may withdraw balances until 23:59 on October 5, licensed sites must suspend operations from October 6, and banks must process refunds from October 9–14 with Caixa as fallback if needed.
• Industry monitors reported a surge in potentially unauthorized betting domains from about 103 on September 21 to roughly 697 by September 27, raising warnings that prohibition could push customers to clandestine, higher‑risk platforms.
• Operators, trade groups and lawyers are preparing coordinated legal and congressional responses, with many saying they will wait for election results before filing actions in the Supreme Court or lobbying Congress to alter the MP.
• Public health and fiscal tensions complicate the move: national surveys estimate 10.9 million people at risky levels of gambling, SUS attendances rose sharply, analysts put annual health costs near R$30.6 billion, and firms warn of lost sponsorships and contested license fees that could trigger indemnity claims.