Brazil’s ANJL congratulates Lula on re-election and pushes for talks on the legal betting market

The National Association of Games and Lotteries (ANJL), which represents fixed-odds betting operators in Brazil, has publicly congratulated President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) after his second-round re-election and used the moment to call for the dialogue with the regulated market to resume. For PSPs and acquirers, the message is simple: the legal status of online betting in Brazil is still being argued in the political and judicial system, not settled on the operating floor.

1. In a note released on Tuesday (27), ANJL said it expects “the dialogue to be restored and the democratic rule of law to prevail.” That wording matters because the association is not just making a political gesture; it is signaling that the fate of the online betting ban depends on both the National Congress and the Supreme Federal Court (STF), not only on the Planalto.
2. The dispute started after Provisional Measure No. 1.394/2026, published on September 25, which banned online betting in the country. ANJL says the regulated sector was not heard before the decision. The association also pointed out that the measure still has to be voted on by Congress, while Justice Luiz Fux is reporting the direct actions of unconstitutionality against it at the STF and said he would rule after the elections.
3. The note also answers Lula’s October 22 live stream with Deputy André Janones, in which he said the bets “will not come back.” ANJL itself is one of the plaintiffs in a case before the Federal Regional Court of the 1st Region (TRF1) seeking suspension of the effects of the MP and restoration of the operators’ authorizations, which expired on the second-round election day.
4. ANJL also says it remains committed to social welfare and is “available once again” to work with Congress and the Executive Branch on improving the regulated market and fighting illegal betting. According to the association, illegal operators “dominated the country during the ban on legalized companies.”
5. The migration problem is not new. Before the ban, and even after 22 months of regulation, the illegal market still accounted for more than 40% of bets. With authorized operators removed, players lost protections created by regulation, including identity checks, deposit limits, and customer support channels, and were left using platforms with no state oversight.

ANJL was launched in March 2023 and includes, among others, Aposta Ganha Loterias, Esportes Gaming Brasil, BETBR Loterias, Upbet Brasil, Big Brazil Tecnologia e Loteria, Hiper Bet Tecnologia, SorteNaBet Gaming Brasil, and Sistema Lotérico de Pernambuco. For payment companies, the practical takeaway is that Brazil’s legal betting framework is still being shaped by the Congress-STF process, while the illegal market is already filling the gap.