Lula’s comments came in an interview with the website ICL Noticias, in which he discussed the impact of online betting on household finances as he campaigns for reelection in October. He said the country should “close them” if he has the authority, framing his view around debt faced by Brazilian families.
The president’s argument, as he presented it, centered on indebtedness. Lula said he is “deeply worried about the indebtedness of the Brazilian people” and argued that if betting platforms cause harm, the government should end them. He did not lay out a timeline for how a ban would be implemented, but he emphasized that any change would depend on lawmakers.
Lula also said lawmakers would need to approve a ban, noting that many of them are allies of betting companies. His comments came as Brazil’s betting industry and regulators have already been navigating a regulatory framework that allows sports wagering but imposes conditions on companies operating in the country.
Brazil made sports betting legal in 2018 after lawmakers passed a bill signed by then-President Michel Temer. After taking office, Lula’s left-leaning administration introduced regulations affecting betting companies in 2025 following steps the government took in 2024 to block several of them.
The government has also been seeking changes to the economic terms for betting companies. The AP report said Brazil now aims to impose higher tariffs on betting firms, on top of a current 12% of their income, and that betting companies have argued that tax increases could make it harder for local operators to compete as offshore sites would continue taking bets tied to the Brazilian market without paying for licenses.
Beyond the policy debate, Lula’s remarks reflected criticism that religious groups and social activists have long directed at betting companies. In Brazil, the AP said gambling in other forms is not legal, while betting firms sponsor many soccer clubs in the first and second divisions.
The AP report also noted that several current and former players have served as branding figures for betting companies, including Vinícius Júnior, Ronaldo Nazário and Roberto Rivellino, as those companies maintain ties with sports fans and mainstream club sponsorships.