Brazil’s National Association of Games and Lotteries (ANJL) has condemned a legislator’s proposal to completely ban betting in the country just 15 months after the regulated market was launched.
Pedro Uczai, a member of the Chamber of Deputies and the governing Workers Party (PT), proposed Bill PL-1808/2026 on 14 April. If approved the bill will repeal the ‘Bets Law’, PL 2626/2023, which launched the regulated market on 1 January 2025.
Since the market launched, Brazil has emerged as one of the world’s largest betting sectors worth billions of dollars. The market enabled many state lottery operators to get involved in the legal sports betting market, going up against many domestic and international firms.
Uczai’s legislative push comes amid wider political scrutiny over the betting sector. This has seen President Lula da Silva, who oversaw the market’s launch in 2025 despite his personal opposition to the sector, become increasingly critical of it.
“The National Association of Games and Lotteries considers any proposal aimed at prohibiting the legal and regulated betting market a great risk,” the ANJL’s statement read.
“The regulation of the sector was structured by the federal government with the objective of bringing an activity that already occurred in an unregulated manner into a controlled environment. The model establishes mechanisms for supervision, transparency and consumer protection that are not present in the illegal market.
“In this context, any measures that weaken the regulated environment do not eliminate the activity, but may encourage its migration to unauthorised platforms, where there is less capacity for monitoring and user protection.”
The government has embraced a policy of ‘three Bs’ – taxing banking, betting and billionaires. Tax rates on gross gambling revenue (GGR) are due to go up from 12% to 18% by 2027.
The industry, including lottery stakeholders like the ANJL, are making concerns clear.
“Strengthening regulation and the monitoring instruments provided for is the most appropriate way to mitigate risks, including those associated with compulsive behavior, as well as to expand consumer protection,” the ANJL’s statement continued.
“ANJL reinforces its commitment to the responsible development of the sector and to the construction of a qualified public debate, based on data and the consolidation of regulatory advances already established in the country.”