Lula prepares anti-bets campaign in Brazil, weighs new restrictions before the election

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva is preparing an election-focused campaign against online betting, with a video featuring people who say they developed gambling addiction. For PSPs and acquirers serving Brazil, the point is simple: this is now a political issue, not just a compliance footnote.

1. The campaign is expected to air in the coming days and will include people affected by internet gambling addiction, according to Metrópoles. Lula is set to appear alongside some of these victims in the recording, with the message centered on financial losses and the breakdown of family, professional, and social ties caused by addiction.
2. In an interview on Sunday (13/9), Lula said he had spoken with gambling addiction victims. One case he mentioned involved a man who accumulated more than R$ 2 million in debt and lost social, professional, and family relationships.
3. On Wednesday (16/9), in an interview on the Desce a Letra Show podcast, Lula said his “personal disposition” was to “end bets,” adding that there is no such thing as “good bets and bad bets.” He also said, “All bets live off gambling.”
4. Lula added that he could not make an abrupt decision without considering the consequences, but described bets as “a disaster in this country for poor working people who lose their money gambling.”
5. The campaign is also weighing measures against betting platforms before the election. The format has not been defined yet, and options range from tighter advertising restrictions to tougher action against online casinos, including the so-called Jogo do Tigrinho. The sector reached more than 15 million Brazilians in the first half of 2026, according to data cited by the report.