Zema Says He Would Ban Sports Betting as President, but His Minas Gerais Government Authorized Online Wagers

Romeu Zema, the Novo presidential candidate, is campaigning against bets and promising to ban them if elected, but his administration in Minas Gerais authorized the state lottery to operate sports betting and online games under the Lotominas.bet domain. For PSPs and operators, the point is not the slogan; it is the gap between political messaging and the actual licensing posture of the state.

1. Zema’s anti-betting line was a campaign feature, not part of his original government plan. It became more visible after Senator Eduardo Girão (Novo-CE), known for opposing bets in the Federal Senate, joined the ticket as vice-presidential candidate.
2. During a Tuesday (25/8) hearing hosted by O Globo, CBN radio, and Valor Econômico, journalist Malu Gaspar questioned Zema about the 2021 decree that added online games to Loteria Mineira and allowed sports betting. Zema said his government simply followed federal rules and argued that any governor could face prevarication charges if they failed to maximize state revenue. “I did it according to federal law. I was not required to do it, but I could have been prosecuted for prevarication,” he said.
3. The New party has taken a more flexible line than Zema’s campaign messaging suggests. Earlier this year, its bloc in the Chamber of Deputies introduced a bill to overturn a National Monetary Council (CMN) resolution that had restricted the prediction market, which the federal government classifies as a form of betting.
4. In February, during the vote on the PL Antifacção, Novo allowed its deputies to vote freely on amendments dealing with taxation of bets. Marcel Van Hattem (Novo-RS) said he opposed betting markets but did not agree with raising taxes on the sector, while Luiz Lima (Novo-RJ) said at a hearing in the Chamber’s Sports Committee that he supported the operation of bets.
5. In a statement, the party said the decision was “individual, respecting the conscience of each member,” and did not impose a party line on the topic. That matters because in practice party discipline, governor-level decrees, and federal rules can point in different directions at the same time.

One more thing: Zema’s anti-bets campaign has also drawn scrutiny for claims that were not backed by official or scientific sources. On 18 August, BNLData gave him the Fake Seal after he said he would close betting shops as his first act in office and cited 180,000 suicide attempts and 10 million gambling addicts in Brazil.