Brazil has banned sports betting and online casino. On September 25 President Lula signed Provisional Measure No. 1,394/2026: it took effect on publication and prohibits the "exploitation, offering, intermediation and advertising" of fixed-odds betting nationwide. Two days ago we reported that Brazil was preparing a ban — now it is signed, and it is the biggest blow to gambling affiliate traffic this year: BR was one of the highest-volume geos in the niche.
What exactly is banned: the text of MP 1,394
We checked the key provisions against the official text on the Brazilian government's site (planalto.gov.br):
- Article 1 prohibits the exploitation, offering, intermediation and advertising of fixed-odds betting, both physical and online.
- The ban covers bets on real sporting events and on virtual online game events — so online casino too, including Brazil's hugely popular "Tigrinho" (Fortune Tiger).
- Other lottery types authorised by law are excluded.
- The measure amends Law 14,790/2023, which had regulated the market since January 2025, and creates an inter-agency oversight committee.
Deadlines: what shuts down and when
| What | Deadline in the MP | Date (per Reuters and NEXT.io) |
|---|---|---|
| New deposits | banned from publication | from September 25 |
| Player withdrawals | before sites go offline | by October 5 |
| Sites and apps offline | 10 days after publication (Art. 7) | October 6 |
| Advertising removed | 10 days after publication (Art. 16) | early October |
| Balances refunded via banks | 2 days to prepare data + 7 days for banks (Arts. 8–9) | October 9–14 |
| Licences revoked | 30 days after publication (Art. 4) | late October |
Licences revoked with no compensation
Under Article 4, authorisations end "for reasons of public interest" and give no right to a refund of the licence fee or to damages. According to iGaming Business, Brazil had around 90 licensed companies, each of which paid BRL 30 million for a federal licence. Betano, bet365 and Entain are among those that must leave the market.
Payments, app stores and providers
- Banks and payment providers may not process betting transactions, except those needed to close accounts and refund players (Art. 14).
- App stores and operating systems must prevent prohibited services from being distributed (Art. 21).
- Internet providers and platforms must take content down when notified by consumer-protection authorities and have a "duty of care" (Arts. 19–20).
- Fines for platforms reach 10% of the group's annual revenue, or BRL 10 to 1,000 per registered user capped at BRL 50 million per infraction, plus daily fines and suspension (Art. 22). Operators that fail their refund obligations face a BRL 200,000 daily fine.
The measure itself creates no criminal liability. The government is tabling a separate bill: according to iGB, it provides 4–6 years in prison for operators and 2–4 years for financial institutions that process betting payments. For now it is only a draft.
What happens next
A provisional measure lasts 60 days, extendable by another 60 — Congress must approve it within 120 days or it lapses. Finance Minister Dario Durigan calls betting "a public health issue", and Lula compared it to a tumour. The first round of the presidential election is on October 4, and Lula's main rival Flávio Bolsonaro calls the ban a populist electoral move.
Industry association ANJL warns that players will move to the illegal market, and lawyers are already discussing constitutional challenges at the Supreme Court (STF). According to Reuters, Brazilians spend about BRL 60 billion a year on online betting, and the state collected roughly BRL 10 billion in taxes from the sector. An Atlas/Bloomberg poll found about 75% of Brazilians support the ban.
What it means for media buyers
- FTDs in Brazil are no longer possible. Deposits are banned from September 25, so there is nothing to pay CPA on for new BR traffic. Stop Brazil campaigns now, not on October 6.
- Find out what happens to traffic you already sent. Ask your network manager how September conversions will be closed and what happens to hold and baseline for deposits made before September 25. RevShare on Brazilian players effectively drops to zero as players are removed from platforms.
- Advertising and promotion are banned too. The measure prohibits not only operating but also advertising and intermediation, and platforms must remove such content. Continuing to send BR traffic to offshore brands means working for the illegal market, with risks to ad accounts, payment tools and — if the bill passes — criminal exposure.
- Where to move budget. Portuguese-language creatives and angles don't transfer directly to the rest of LatAm, and every country in the region has its own rules — check offer terms and ad policies for each geo before launching. Geos, baseline and FTD payouts are covered in our 2026 gambling vertical breakdown, and gambling moderation on TikTok in a separate guide.
How networks are closing Brazilian offers and which geos you are testing instead of BR — join the discussion on the forum. Vetted gambling and betting networks are collected in the affiliate programs catalog.