Brazil’s Federal Government has announced a new debt renegotiation program that will include a temporary restriction on online betting for participants, directly linking gambling activity to broader efforts to address household indebtedness.
The measure, outlined by President Lula da Silva during a national address on 1 May, forms part of a wider package aimed at reducing financial pressure on households and businesses. The program is expected to allow individuals to renegotiate debts such as credit cards and consumer loans with interest capped at 1.99% per month and discounts ranging from 30% to 90%.
As part of the scheme, individuals who enroll will be blocked from accessing online betting platforms for a period of one year.
Lula framed the restriction as a necessary safeguard within the program, stating that debt relief should not coincide with continued spending on gambling.
The proposal reflects increasing alignment between Brazil’s betting regulation and wider economic policy, particularly as concerns around household debt and gambling-related harm gain prominence in public debate.
At the same time, the regulated betting market has become a growing source of government revenue.
According to Federal Revenue data, Brazil collected BR3.4bn ($680m) from betting and gambling activities in the first quarter of 2026, a year-on-year increase of 123.7%.
The rise follows the implementation of the country’s fixed-odds betting framework in January 2025, which introduced licensing requirements and taxation mechanisms.
Further details of the debt renegotiation program are expected to be released in the coming days, including operational guidelines and eligibility criteria.
Household debt in Brazil reached 29.3% of income in January
