Flávio Bolsonaro signals support for clubs and betting operators, but does not promise to restore legal betting in Brazil

A Folha de S.Paulo report says PL candidate Flávio Bolsonaro told Flamengo president Luiz Eduardo Baptista, Bap, that if elected he will find a “solution” for clubs and betting companies. For high-risk payment providers, the useful part is the same old distinction: a friendly signal is not the same thing as a legal reopening.

1. According to the report, the call came one day after the publication of MP 1.394/2026. Folha says three people linked to football and the campaign confirmed the outreach, but also confirmed the limit of the message: Flávio did not commit to restoring authorization for betting companies to operate again.
2. That distinction matters because the sector is dealing with a ban that was sold as an electoral weapon. On 1 October, Datafolha showed 78% of Brazilians in favor of ending bets. Three days later, Flávio finished the first round ahead of Lula, with 47.03% of the vote versus 45.16%.
3. Another poll cited in the piece, Quaest from Wednesday (21), shows the betting ban tied with the package for microempreendedores individuais (MEIs) at 11% each among the measures remembered by voters. In other words, the policy got plenty of airtime and very little recall where it counts.
4. Folha also says advisers to Lula see the measure’s positive effect as smaller than expected, and the president has started avoiding the topic. The ban has not translated into votes, but it has triggered a backlash from clubs, media outlets, and bettors themselves. The article says parliamentary leaders from the centrão are already considering lifting the betting restrictions after the elections.
5. For payment operations, the practical takeaway is blunt: MP 1.394/2026 was built as a campaign weapon, but it now enters Congress as a liability. Flávio’s pitch suggests political appetite for a fix, but not yet a commitment to restore legality to the market.