Brazil’s Congress is weighing a ban on fixed-odds betting as the PL strengthens after the October 4 vote

Brazil’s National Congress is now reviewing Provisional Measure No. 1.394/2026, under which President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva banned the operation, offering, intermediation and advertising of fixed-odds betting in the country. For operators and PSPs, the point is simple: the rule already applies from September 25, but the political math around it is changing fast.

1. The measure covers both sports betting and online games, including services offered from abroad to people located in Brazil. The commission examining the MP includes members of the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate, plus alternate members from both houses.
2. The legislative process is still moving without a defined chair or rapporteur for the commission. According to the official schedule, amendments can be submitted until October 13, and Congress must deliberate on the MP by November 23.
3. There are currently 42 amendments on file. The proposals include attempts to narrow the scope of the ban, set specific restrictions for certain types of betting, and keep some sector-related activities alive.
4. Deputy Pedro Aihara (PP/MG) submitted a proposal to limit the ban to slot-machine betting. A first version was withdrawn on October 1, and he later filed a new amendment with a similar approach.
5. Deputy Marcos Braz (PSDB/RJ) filed five amendments. One would preserve certain sports bets and introduce a transition period for advertising and sponsorship contracts tied to sector companies; another would bar beneficiaries of federal income transfer programs such as Bolsa Família from betting if the activity remains regulated.

The political backdrop matters here. In the legislative elections of October 4, the Partido Liberal (PL), the party that ran Flávio Bolsonaro as its presidential candidate, won 121 seats in the Chamber of Deputies for the 2027 legislature, up from 98, making it the largest single bloc in the chamber. It also became the leading force in the Senate, with 28 of the 81 seats for the next term.

For the Partido dos Trabalhadores (PT) of Lula, representation in the Chamber rose from 82 to 88 deputies. Together with other forces traditionally allied with the president, the left would reach 124 representatives.