Lula sharpens Brazil bets crackdown as government prepares a possible ban

Brazil’s president said people should spend money on food, not on betting, as his government prepares a package of economic measures that may include restrictions on bets and household debt. For PSPs and merchants in high-risk verticals, the key point is that Brasília is now openly discussing a ban on betting companies operating in Brazil.

1. Speaking in Portuguese, Lula said: “The money from gambling is for children’s food. If you want to gamble, buy a liter of milk for your home, bread, more food for your home. It is not right to spend what you do not have to try to win what does not exist. You can’t believe in lies.”
2. Lula is expected to announce the measures on Friday (25) in São Paulo. The package should include actions against bets and against household indebtedness, with the government expecting to prohibit betting companies from operating in Brazil.
3. The change is expected to be announced through a Medida Provisória, a provisional measure. Executive branch agencies are already organizing internal actions on the assumption that the MP will be published at any moment.
4. Officials expected at the event include Dario Durigan from the Ministry of Finance and Miriam Belchior from the Casa Civil, both of whom took part in the discussions on the betting restrictions.
5. On Wednesday (23), Lula met with ministers to discuss measures to restrict bets. Present were Dario Durigan, Miriam Belchior, Bruno Moretti from Budget and Planning, Wellignton César from Justice and Public Security, Sidônio Palmeira from Communication, and Central Bank president Gabriel Galípolo.

The government is not fully aligned on the shape of the move. Lula has decided he wants to announce the end of bets, but the team is split between a total ban and a narrower measure, such as banning advertising and prohibiting virtual casinos like “Jogo do Tigrinho.”