Brazil’s Fazenda estimates R$ 1.7 billion in betting balances may be withdrawn before October 5

The Ministry of Finance says about R$ 1.7 billion is sitting in online betting accounts in Brazil and can still be withdrawn until October 5, even after the government’s new measure provisória (MP) banned further deposits. For PSPs, acquirers, and banks, the useful detail is not the ban itself but the exit mechanics: deposits stop now, withdrawals stay open for a short window, and banks are expected to handle automatic repayment after the platforms are shut down.

1. The government published the MP on Friday, effectively banning bets in Brazil. New funds can no longer be deposited into the platforms, but money already sitting in user accounts may still be used for betting until the transition window closes.
2. The Ministry of Finance set up a shutdown schedule that gives bettors until 23:59 on October 5 to recover their money voluntarily. The article puts the amount of funds held on betting sites at R$ 1.7 billion.
3. From October 6, at 0h, the National Telecommunications Agency (Anatel) and the Internet Steering Committee (CGI) are due to block the sites and remove the apps across the country. At that point, legal online gambling in Brazil will no longer exist.
4. The accompanying bill sent to the National Congress goes further than the MP: it would criminalize both the operation of gambling and the advertising and use of data for that purpose, with penalties of up to six years in prison.
5. Between October 6 and 7, operators must report each customer’s remaining balance to the banks, broken down by CPF and source account. The banks will then automatically transfer the funds back to users.

One detail worth noting for high-risk payment teams: the MP does not prohibit additional money already deposited on the platforms from being used for play until early October. In other words, the flow does not end the moment the ban is published; it shifts into a short cleanup period, followed by automated returns through the banking system.