Nine Brazilian trade associations representing the sports betting sector have published a joint statement defending the sector.
This comes as a Federal Government provisional measure to potentially ban betting is expected at 5pm São Paulo time later today.
President Lula da Silva confirmed that he intends to prohibit online betting entirely, tying the sector's harms to Senator Flávio Bolsonaro, his main rival in the reelection race; a screen at a campaign rally in Rio de Janeiro that night read "Flávio is bets. Lula is the way."
The associations' statement leaned heavily on the language of broken commitments.
"Brazil decided to regulate betting. Under Law 14,790/2023, companies set up in the country, paid licensing fees, invested in technology and compliance, hired professionals and began paying taxes under state oversight. They didn't bet on improvisation. They bet on Brazil's rules," the statement read.
The groups argued a ban wouldn't eliminate demand, only strip away the safeguards regulation put in place.
They have also warned of lost tax revenue earmarked for sport, public security, health and social security, legal uncertainty around revoking state-granted authorizations and mass layoffs across betting, technology, advertising, tourism and payments.
The statement closed with an appeal for restraint: "We ask the National Congress and the Executive Branch for calm, dialogue and institutional responsibility. This issue demands evidence, not electoral disputes. The entities remain available to help build solutions. We bet on Brazil: on a country that regulates to protect, respects contracts, preserves jobs, and doesn't push its citizens into illegality."
Signatories in the statement included ABC-Bet, ABFS, ABRAJOGO, Aigaming, AMIG, ANJL, IBJR, IJL and Sindibets.
Brazil’s biggest football clubs also published a statement in favour of the betting sector.
Brazil's largest TV networks and social media platforms have reportedly held similar conversations with the Government against the possible ban
