Brazil's Federal Government is drafting at least two ordinances that would establish minimum standards for complaint handling and player health services offered by licensed betting operators.
The goal is to define what these service channels must provide so bettors can file complaints about specific wagers, withdrawal problems and registration issues.
The ordinances are expected to be issued before the end of 2026.
Officials within the administration of President Lula believe ombudsman services should operate independently from the betting companies themselves.
The rules for health-focused channels remain less defined. While part of the industry already offers some form of the service, officials say it is unclear what such channels should include, what protocols should apply or how their availability should be disclosed to users.
Officials do not expect the Government to pursue a broad overhaul of the regulated betting market or an outright ban in the short term, despite betting being likely to feature prominently during October's elections.
Lula has previously criticized betting and expressed support for banning the activity. However, the administration is instead pursuing additional regulation rather than prohibition.
Officials expect a gradual tightening of specific rules rather than a sweeping change. The comparison drawn within government is to alcohol regulation, which is strict but allows advertising paired with responsible use messaging, rather than to tobacco, which faces harder restrictions.
The plans follow a tightening of advertising rules introduced around the FIFA World Cup in 2026. One measure required betting ads to carry warnings from the Ministry of Finance about the risk of financial loss, dependency and the fact that betting is not an investment.
A separate measure, developed with the Ministry of Justice and Public Security, prohibits licensed operators from portraying betting as a technical skill or marketing it as an investment or a solution to financial problems.
In March 2026, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva publicly called for a ban on online casino games, despite having signed Brazil's betting regulation into law in 2023
