Lula’s provisional measure blocks new deposits into Brazil’s online betting sites, with withdrawals open until October 5

Brazil has effectively shut down online betting and gaming operators under a provisional measure signed by President Lula, but the sites will stay online until October 5 so customers can withdraw balances. For PSPs, acquirers, and banks, the operational point is simple: no new funding in, mandatory payout window out, then automatic bank-led refunds for any leftover client balances.

1. The provisional measure immediately bans the operation, offering, intermediation, and advertising of fixed-odds betting and online games in Brazil, including slots such as Jogo do Tigrinho, crash-style games such as aviãozinho, virtual roulette, dice, number draws, and card games such as Blackjack. In practical terms, it voids the laws that legalized these activities in 2018 and regulated them in 2023.
2. From the moment the measure was published, bettors were prevented from making new deposits or transfers to the platforms. The Central Bank will stop companies in the sector from receiving payments via Pix or TED, and any CNPJ registered for online betting will face prior blocking in payment systems.
3. The Ministry of Finance estimates that there is R$ 1.7 billion belonging to clients on these platforms. The sites may remain online until 23:59 on October 5 so users can withdraw their balances normally; operators that make withdrawals difficult will face fines and administrative sanctions.
4. At 00:00 on October 6, operators must take their websites and apps offline. If any betting offer remains live, Anatel can order the blocking of those addresses and the removal of the apps nationwide.
5. For customers who miss the deadline, the measure sets out an automatic refund process through banks. Between October 6 and 7, operators must send banks the balances of customers who did not withdraw by October 5, broken down by CPF and source account, and banks will transfer the funds automatically between October 9 and 14.