ANJL calls for renewed talks with re-elected Lula after Brazil betting ban

The National Association of Games and Lotteries (ANJL) has said it is ready to reopen talks with Brazil’s Executive Branch after Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s re-election, following the reversal of betting licences under Provisional Measure 1,394. For regulated operators, the immediate issue is simple: whether the market can get its authorisations back before the illegal side cements the gains from the ban.

1. ANJL said it recognises Lula’s victory and is prepared to re-establish dialogue with the government. In its statement, the association said it hopes for a “democratic and transparent debate” and sees combatting illegal operators as the proper route, rather than leaving the legal market closed.
2. Provisional Measure 1,394, announced by Lula last month, revoked all betting licences as of Sunday. According to the source, the first industry move will be to try to recover those authorisations, which were pulled just 22 months after regulation of the sector.
3. The numbers explain why the sector is pushing hard. In 2025, betting contributed BRL9.95 billion ($1.8 billion) to public coffers. This year, before the ban, the Federal Revenue Service had already collected BRL11.1 billion in revenue from games and bets, and the expectation was roughly BRL15 billion for all of 2026.
4. With the legal market shut, the source says the prohibition has pushed bettors toward clandestine websites. The practical consequences are the usual ones: no player protection, minors able to access platforms, no tax collection, and no guarantee that winnings can be withdrawn.
5. ANJL’s note was explicit about its next move: it will make itself available to work with the National Congress and the Executive Branch to improve the regulated market and combat illegal betting, which it says dominated the country during the ban on legalised companies.