Brazil’s Federal Government will prohibit students enrolled in the Desenrola FIES debt renegotiation program from accessing online betting platforms, according to statements made by Finance Executive Secretary Rogério Ceron.
The restriction will apply to debtors participating in the renegotiation scheme tied to Brazil’s Higher Education Student Financing Fund (FIES), a federal program that finances university tuition for low-income students through government-backed loans.
According to Ceron, the betting restriction will be included in a provisional measure linked to the Government’s fuel subsidy package.
The latest measure extends Brazil’s growing effort to connect gambling regulation with household indebtedness and consumer protection policies.
The Government has increasingly argued that betting expenditure is contributing to financial pressure among vulnerable groups.
Under the program, students with overdue FIES debts can renegotiate balances through state-owned banks Caixa and Banco do Brasil. Brazil’s Ministry of Education estimates that more than one million students may qualify for renegotiation.
The program applies to contracts signed until 2017 that had already entered the repayment phase by 4 May 2026. Renegotiation requests can be submitted until 31 December 2026.
Different discount structures will apply depending on the borrower’s financial profile and repayment delays. Students with debts overdue by more than 360 days may receive discounts of up to 99% if registered under CadÚnico, Brazil’s federal social assistance database.
Authorities also confirmed that debtors who fail to pay three consecutive installments or five alternating payments under the renegotiated agreement could lose the negotiated discounts.
According to figures included in Brazil’s 2027 Budget Guidelines Bill, outstanding FIES debt reached BR90bn ($18bn) by the end of 2025, with BR61bn linked to debts overdue for more than one year.
Brazilian police recently concluded an investigation into the alleged diversion of more than BR20,000 from a school association in Paraná, with part of the funds used on illegal gambling platforms
