Brazil Betting Ban 2026: What MP 1,394 Means

Brazil has reversed its regulated fixed-odds betting market through Provisional Measure No. 1,394 of 25 September 2026. The measure prohibits the operation, offer, intermediation and advertising of fixed-odds betting throughout Brazil. It covers sports betting and online games, applies to federal, state and Federal District permissions, and also reaches overseas businesses offering these products to people located in Brazil.

The legal text is broader than an online-casino restriction. Article 1 covers fixed-odds bets on real sporting events as well as virtual online-game events. It applies whether the product is offered physically or online. Other lottery categories authorised separately by law are outside this measure, so the change should not be described as a ban on every form of lottery in Brazil.

The measure entered into force when it was published on 25 September. From that date, licensed platforms could no longer accept new money into customer transaction accounts, apart from limited proceeds from financial assets already holding player funds where those proceeds are used to meet closing obligations. New betting authorisations are also barred, and undecided applications are discontinued.

The immediate priority for anyone with an account is to withdraw rather than place another bet. The government’s published timetable gives customers until 23:59 on 5 October to remove available funds voluntarily. Betting websites and apps must become unavailable ten days after publication, which the government identifies as 6 October.

An open bet whose result has not been determined by the platform-shutdown deadline becomes void under the measure. The operator must return the full stake without deductions. A prize from a bet settled by that deadline remains payable. These rules distinguish account closure from forfeiture: money owed to a customer does not become the operator’s property merely because the service is ending.

Customers should use the withdrawal function while the authorised platform remains available, verify that the receiving bank or payment account is active and held under the same CPF, and retain the confirmation. Screenshots of the balance, pending bets, withdrawal request and transaction reference can help establish what was due if a payment later needs to be traced.

Operators have two days after making their sites and apps unavailable to secure sufficient liquid funds and send financial institutions an itemised list of the amounts owed, identified by CPF and source account. The same information and proof of available funds must go to the Secretariat of Prizes and Betting.

The financial or payment institution then has seven days from receiving that information to return the money to an active account held by the bettor. The original funding account is preferred where it remains active, but another account belonging to the same person may be used. If a bank cannot complete the return, the remaining money must be transferred to a dedicated Caixa Econômica Federal account for repayment under Finance Ministry supervision.

This fallback is not a reason to delay a normal withdrawal. It is a regulated route for unresolved balances, and the process may require identity and account matching. Customers should not pay a third party, share a password or send identity documents through an unsolicited message claiming to accelerate a refund.

The ban is not limited to unlicensed or offshore sites. Concessions, permissions and authorisations granted under the regulated framework are due to end thirty days after publication. The text says that this extinction is for public-interest reasons and does not create a right to repayment of the authorisation fee or government compensation.

The Health Ministry says 85 authorisations had been granted at R$30 million each, representing R$2.55 billion paid during the authorisation process. Those government figures describe authorisations rather than individual websites or brands; one authorised company can operate more than one approved brand. They should not be confused with earlier counts of domains in the regulated market.

Ending an authorisation does not erase earlier duties. Operators must preserve gambling, customer, payment and prize records for at least five years, continue required reporting through Sigap, and remain accountable for regulatory, tax, anti-money-laundering, responsible-gambling and sports-integrity obligations arising while they were active.

The measure prohibits betting communication, advertising, marketing and sponsorship directed at the Brazilian public across physical and digital media. Existing betting material and sponsorship signs must be removed within ten days of publication. Previously published content in which betting advertising was merely incidental is treated differently, but fresh promotion, access facilitation and paid distribution are covered.

The practical effect reaches beyond betting websites. Sports clubs, media owners, influencers, advertising agencies and platforms need to review active campaigns and commercial placements. Internet services have a duty to inhibit covered content and respond to official removal notices, while app stores and operating-system providers must prevent prohibited betting products from remaining available.

Financial institutions and payment services may not process transactions for fixed-odds betting except those needed to close operations and return player money. The Central Bank must establish electronic data exchange for rejecting transactions and returning money linked to illegal betting through real-time settlement systems.

The Finance and Justice ministries can request the blocking or redirection of betting sites. Anatel distributes blocking orders to internet-access providers, while CGI.br handles orders involving name resolution under the .br domain. App stores, operating systems and payment infrastructure therefore sit alongside domain blocking in the enforcement model.

A new interinstitutional committee coordinated by the Civil House will align prevention and enforcement against illegal betting and advertising. The Federal Police, tax authority and financial-intelligence unit are also required to share necessary information within applicable privacy and secrecy rules.

A provisional measure has immediate force, but it is not the final end of the legislative process. The Presidency’s legislation portal lists MP 1,394 as “in progress”, and the Associated Press reports that congressional approval is required within 120 days for it to remain effective. Congress may approve, amend or reject the measure, and litigation may also affect how particular provisions operate.

That uncertainty does not suspend the current shutdown duties. Bettors should follow the deadlines now in force rather than assume that a later political or legal challenge will preserve access to an account. Operators and commercial partners likewise need to separate possible future changes from their present obligations.

Stop depositing and request withdrawal directly through the authorised operator before the 5 October deadline. Download account and transaction records, note any open bets, and confirm that the CPF and receiving account details are correct. If an open bet will not settle before shutdown, check that the full stake is included in the amount due.

Use only the operator’s known app or domain and official government channels. A rapid national closure creates an obvious opportunity for phishing messages offering special withdrawals, account migration or identity verification. Do not install a replacement betting app, move funds to a supposed offshore successor or send money to release an existing balance.

The ban covers offers made to people located in Brazil even when the provider is based abroad. A foreign licence does not override Brazilian law, and an offshore site may not offer the repayment and complaint protections set out for closing authorised accounts. Gambling is for adults and carries a risk of financial harm; anyone struggling with betting should stop transactions and seek confidential health or support services rather than trying to recover losses through further play.

The immediate milestones are the advertising and voluntary-withdrawal deadline on 5 October, platform shutdown on 6 October, operator reporting and the subsequent bank-return window. The market will also be watching for Central Bank rules, blocking actions, guidance from the Secretariat of Prizes and Betting, and the progress of MP 1,394 through Congress.

The most important distinction is between present effect and final permanence. Brazil’s regulated fixed-odds platforms are being closed under a measure already in force. Whether Congress preserves the ban in its current form is a later question. For customers, protecting records and withdrawing the balance now is the practical response.

Sources: Presidency of the Republic of Brazil, “Provisional Measure No. 1,394 of 25 September 2026” (25 September 2026, official scope, transition, repayments, advertising, enforcement and commencement); Brazil Ministry of Health, “President Lula signs Provisional Measure banning bets in Brazil” (25 September 2026, official timetable, authorisation totals and public-health rationale); Presidency of the Republic, “Provisional Measures after Constitutional Amendment No. 32” (checked 27 September 2026, official status listed as in progress); and Associated Press, “Brazil’s President Lula bans online betting ahead of presidential election” (updated 25 September 2026, secondary reporting on congressional approval, political context and market impact).