Brazil’s TV networks mobilize against a possible betting ban as Lula weighs a veto

Globo, SBT and Band are pushing back against a possible prohibition on sports betting in Brazil, with executives warning that the move would hit a revenue stream many broadcasters now depend on. For PSPs and merchants in high-risk verticals, the important bit is simple: when media groups are financially tied to betting, a regulatory shock does not stay confined to the gambling sector.

1. According to reporting from Coluna Canal D of O Dia, Brazil’s biggest television networks have been working behind the scenes to block any attempt by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva to issue a Medida Provisória (Provisional Measure) banning sports betting in the country.
2. Executives from major broadcasters have been sending representatives to Brasília to stop the measure from being issued. Owners of affiliate stations who also hold seats in Congress have already been told to argue that the ban would be unconstitutional if it is moved forward.
3. The resistance is not just ideological; it is financial. Betting brands account for a meaningful share of broadcasters’ revenue, and some of the networks have direct equity links to the sector: Globo is a partner in BetMGM, SBT holds a stake in Bet do Milhão, and Band operates BandBet.
4. The networks are also reacting to a softer ad market. Major betting brands had already begun cutting spending on linear TV after a period of rapid growth during the World Cup, and a total ban would hit that channel even harder.
5. Broadcasters also argue that a prohibition would not solve the public-health problem it is meant to address. In their view, it would simply push users toward illegal betting platforms while doing little in practice to change the underlying behavior.

The line from the TV groups is basically this: banning betting would not remove demand, it would just change where that demand shows up. For high-risk operators and their payment providers, that is the useful read—when a regulated channel is squeezed, the unregulated one tends to get louder.