Brazil attorney general asks STF for 72 hours before betting ban challenge is heard

Brazil’s Attorney General’s Office (AGU) has asked Supreme Federal Court (STF) Minister Luiz Fux for a 72-hour window to respond to legal challenges against the country’s provisional betting ban. For operators, PSPs, and banks, the timing matters because the case could affect licence revocations, payment blocking, and website restrictions.

1. The AGU said the request is procedural: it wants time for the federal government and the bodies defending the measure to answer the latest filings before the court considers the sector’s claims. In other words, this is not yet a ruling on whether the betting ban stands or falls.
2. The challenge was filed by the National Association of Games and Lotteries (ANJL) and the Brazilian Institute for Responsible Gaming (IBJR), which want the provisional measure suspended. They also asked that the Ministries of Finance and Justice, Anatel (the Brazilian telecommunications regulatory agency), the Central Bank, Caixa Econômica Federal, and the Internet Steering Committee not revoke licences, prohibit payments, or block websites and applications.
3. The organisations argue that the provisional measure is unconstitutional. Their complaint is that it does not show the urgency required for a provisional measure, lacks technical studies on its impact, and could undermine confidence in Brazil’s business environment.
4. There is real money attached to the dispute. The lawsuit says Brazil has 85 licensed companies, each of which paid BRL30 million ($5.7 million) for the concession, for a total of about BRL2.5 billion. If the measure is reversed, the government could face pressure to return those amounts.
5. In its note, the AGU said it asked on Monday, 28 September, for the STF to give the presidency of the Republic and the AGU itself 72 hours to comment on the requests submitted by ANJL and IBJR. The office said the goal is to ensure the responsible bodies can present their arguments to the rapporteur before the court moves on the sector’s filings.