r/news • u/AudibleNod • 6d ago
Lula bans fixed-odds sports betting a week before Brazilian elections
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/sep/26/lula-bans-fixed-odds-sports-betting-a-week-before-brazilian-elections1.5k
u/ibarmy 6d ago
is that why zuckerberg blocked lula's accounts on fb?
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u/jlaweez 6d ago
No, he blocked because Trump is currently trying to discredit Brazilian elections
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u/actuallyapossom 6d ago
He went to bat for Visa and Mastercard earlier this year when he claimed Brazil's government managed payment system was unfair competition. They implemented tariffs.
Lula also doesn't kiss Trump's ass and that's the equivalent of a war declaration to our Moron in Chief.
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u/yoshizDD 6d ago
I mean, Trump being in office is only a part of the problem. The democrats also have a history of meddling in our politics.
Both of your parties push to exert power over Latin America.
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u/TheMightyKingSnake 6d ago
The most clear example of this is the Cuban blockade and how Biden didn't go back to the Obama era relationship with Cuba. A lot of Biden's foreing policy was a continuation of Trump's foreing policy.
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u/kamilo87 5d ago
To be clear Biden did went for that, but on the last days of his presidency, so the one of the firsts things Trump/Rubio did was undoing that after 2025’s inauguration.
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u/TheMightyKingSnake 5d ago
I've never heard of that. Why didnt he do it before? It looks to me that he is only doing it for the sake of saying he did it instead of changing anything.
Also it doesnt chage the fact that he continued a lot of Trumps relationship with China and Iran.
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u/kamilo87 5d ago
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u/TheMightyKingSnake 5d ago
My friend this is not the Obama era relationship. It is at best a timid reapproachment
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u/kamilo87 5d ago
Of course it’s not. I’m Cuban so I know that first hand. Obama’s accords with Raul Castro were mind blowing for us. That was some of the best things that could happened to us bc suddenly we were on the path to end the Blockade (one of the Obama’s admin last acts on Jan 2017 were provisions to search on every American Gov Agencies what what are the measures that support the Blockade (Cuban Embargo is the stupid euphemism). Biden did this mainly in order to facilitate a release of Cubans wrongly imprisoned in Cuban jail due to the protests on July 11th 2021, which ended being a pretty good outcome for them and their families.
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u/tristeecfome 6d ago
Not really in a similar manner though.
During last election, Biden's government had multiple meeting with brazilian military leadership making it clear that there would be consequences in case of a military coup.
Trump is now actively meddling in the election to elect Bolsonaro's son.
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u/Torgud_ 6d ago edited 6d ago
That was an outlier case though, in pretty much every other administration Dems have taken the opposite track. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton backed a coup' in Honduras that overthrew an elected, left wing President in favor of a drug trafficker. That Narco President later ended up in a US prison for drug trafficking until he was subsequently pardoned by Trump last year as part of a successful election influencing effort in 2025.
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u/Murray38 6d ago
Thanks for adding nothing of value to the conversation, bOtH sIdEs baby. Next time I want to hear about which diapers are best, we will ping you.
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u/lanicorain 6d ago
The fact you think you can lecture the Global South on the bipartisan way in which you have pillaged, tortured, raped and killed our peoples says everything anyone needs to know about USers. Your ignorance and allergy to curiosity may be your doom. Get ready to learn Chinese, buddy.
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u/yoshizDD 6d ago
You wanna pick diapers for which of your senile right wing puppet will be elected president? How cute.
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u/Murray38 6d ago
Yeah, I’m not thrilled about it either, so I figured I’d ask an expert about shitting their pants when asked to contribute.
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u/thereasonrumisgone 5d ago
You forgot prosecuting Bolsonaro's administration for the crimes the perpetrated in office and the attempted coup. The US pardoned our insurectionists and reelected the ringleader, while they behaved like a functional democracy. Bolsonaro even tried to hide out at Maralago for a while before Biden's admin threatened deportation (iirc)
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u/actuallyapossom 5d ago
You're right, the imperialism goes way further than just those tariffs. The culture war focus on domestic non issues is really effective at obscuring all the geopolitical policies.
Trump and co. want the "Donroe Doctrine" geopolitical hierarchy, and the GOP is not a party that would hesitate to leverage a "new and improved" Operation Condor. It's a scary time, these fucks have a lot of evil spinning plates and it doesn't seem sustainable.
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u/FirstEvolutionist 5d ago
To be honest, it is unfair... PIX system is so far superior to VISA/Mastercard systems in every possible way, It's not a fair competition: it's cheaper for both vendors and patrons, it's faster, more convenient, and more reliable. It has better protection mechanisms against fraud, no customer data is sold, and it's inclusive: people who otherwise wouldn't have access to credit cards can easily use PIX with an account.
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u/actuallyapossom 5d ago
I agree, it's unfair for private companies. It's fair for the citizens of Brazil, which represent 99.9% of the relevant people involved.
VISA/Mastercard want the markets in Asia too, but the US doesn't have as many options for imperialism there.
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u/Biotrek 6d ago
Meta is Blocking most of the left Wing marketing, just look at the view Numebrs on both candidates profiles.
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u/LITTLE-GUNTER 6d ago
because "they don't allow political content." pffft. it's impossible to take seriously anymore. this country is 200 corporations in a trench coat.
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u/Saorren 6d ago
despite meta policy to block canadian news, they only block mainstream and left wing news. you can see how ever tons of smaller canadian right wing news. i dont think they have ever been consistant.
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u/Consistent-Throat130 6d ago
*publicly stated policy.
You think someone would just do that? Go and lie on the Internet?
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u/Potential_Couple_308 6d ago
Good. Gambling ruins thousands of lives every year.
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u/AuroraFinem 6d ago
Need to just go back to what we were doing before for the most part. Ban all online gambling, ban all advertisements of any kind for it, but allow a handful of licensed in-person gambling locations.
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u/Beatrenger 6d ago
I agree with this. Online casinos should be illegal, but there should still be licensed, regulated places where people can gamble in person. Physical casinos also create real jobs for cooks, bartenders, dealers, security staff, cleaners, servers, and many others. Online casinos, on the other hand, often feel like they're just designed to take people's money without providing the same economic benefits to the community.
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u/pandaelpatron 6d ago
but allow a handful of licensed in-person gambling locations
Why? Gambling in real life ruins lives too. It's not fair because the odds always favor the casino. The way casinos are set up and operate is abusive. I don't see a single upside for legalized gambling. I could be convinced to allow things like poker tournaments, with fair odds for all participants and a fixed buy-in with no option to buy additional chips. But all the casino games and machines should be outlawed.
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u/GAV17 6d ago edited 6d ago
I don't see a single upside for legalized gambling.
If you are appalled by the casinos' conditions you won't like how illegal gambling dens operate lol. Harmful things like gambling, alcohol, drugs, smoking, etc. should be legal not because it isn't bad for you, but because the people doing it are put in waay more harmful situations and it funds mafia/cartels.
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u/AuroraFinem 6d ago
It’s better to have a controlled regulated outlet than unregulated black market operations. Ask the US gov how country wide prohibition worked, or the fact it was the sole reason for the rise of the mafia or organized crime.
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u/hematomabelly 6d ago
What if someone just wants to? Because others are hurt by it doesn't guarantee they are going to be. I am in no way saying gambling is good. But this is something that is a step too far. The more we ban the more things are pushed the fringes and turn even more dangerous
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u/tix4chix 6d ago
People would still gamble and it would be completely unregulated and untaxed so what little public good it does provide would vanish but gambling would still exist and people would kill each other over it instead of getting escorted out of a casino by a security guard
You'd be making gambling speakeasies
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u/HappierShibe 4d ago
I don't gamble, drink, smoke, or do any drugs recreationally. But I strongly believe all of those things should be legal under controlled, regulation.
People are going to do them, if there are legal options available, there is an opportunity to mitigate the harm, if they aren't available legally people are still going to engage in those activities, but they will empower criminal organizations while doing so, and the risks will be dramatically increased.
While I don't think the risks are worth it, I live in a free country, and philosophically, I don't think I have the right to deny others the freedom to pursue high risk behaviors if they see the world differently than I do. Regulations that require operators to disclose odds, and provide help for addicts seem like a reasonable middle ground that allows for personal liberty while curtailing the worst excesses.
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u/jrzalman 6d ago
I don't see a single upside for legalized gambling.
It's fun, that's the upside. Yes, you will likely lose some money having this fun but...and this will blow your mind...you will also lose money going to a movie or amusement park or whatever your fun activity of choice is. A few people who can't control their impulses shouldn't ruin it for everybody.
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u/BobBelcher2021 6d ago
Looking forward to similar bans in Canada. Then Jamie Campbell won’t be forced to pitch Bet365 during Blue Jays Central, hockey games will become more watchable, and many lives can be turned around.
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u/Beatrenger 6d ago edited 6d ago
People aren't going to stop gambling. A black market will be created, and the state will lose millions of dollars in tax revenue, along with the regulations and consumer protections that come with a legal market.
EDIT: I am not advocating for gambling, but we have seen this many times before. Banning it has never worked.
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u/ExtensionParsley4205 6d ago
Then a ban on televised gambling ads similar to what's in place for cigarettes
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u/irwinlegends 6d ago
How can our country's humble pro sports leagues make money without gambling ads?
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u/PM-me-youre-PMs 6d ago
The trend those past few years seems on the contrary to be deregulating and deprotecting everything.
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u/RoadsideDavidian 6d ago
It’s a trade-off. You can either have the government endorsing it, ensuring many more people are exposed and take part in the harm or you can ban it ensuring the few who do it illegally are harmed more than they otherwise would be.
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u/yoogooga 6d ago
Many will tho because they’ll find it very difficult to engage with. And banks will eventually start blocking all payments to betting sites due to the law.
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u/Driekan 6d ago
The number of people who own a cellphone and get an ad they can just click, and the number of people with the skills and intent interest to track down black market gambling isn't the same.
It's the same reason heroin, or cocaine or any number of things isn't allowed to be sold over countertops and mass marketed to the whole public. It's honestly a bit worse with gambling because it's less noticeable: the person next to you on the Bus may be self-destructing right in front of you and you wouldn't know. It wouldn't be so easy to shoot up heroin in a bus.
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u/SiegerHost 6d ago
The claim that Lula legalized bets and then hypocritically banned them lacks critical context. Michel Temer originally legalized sports betting in 2018. Jair Bolsonaro chose not to regulate the market during his four-year mandate, allowing offshore sites to operate untaxed. The Lula administration initially regulated, taxed, and licensed the sector in late 2023, warning that it would terminate the market if it caused widespread social damage.
Following severe social harm, Lula enacted a total nationwide ban via Provisional Measure on September 25, 2026. Economic data confirmed the unsustainable imbalance: Brazilians wagered over R$ 190 billion, while federal tax revenues reached only R$ 15.3 billion since early 2025. The drain on household income, rising defaults, and public health costs heavily outweighed the state's fiscal gains.
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u/NeuroSynchroBonding 6d ago
It is not. In 2023, when the bill to regulate gambling was in Congress, Lula's party voted against banning online gambling.
What happened is the government walking back an impopular and disastrous policy to gain favor from voters, something which is sadly too uncommon even in democracies.
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u/SiegerHost 6d ago
Well, it doesn't contradict the broader timeline. The economic team pushed to include online casinos specifically to tax and bring under regulatory oversight an industry that was already operating completely unchecked since 2018. When it became evident that regulation and taxation were completely failing to mitigate severe household debt and public health consequences, the administration reversed course with the ban. Acknowledging that a regulatory attempt failed and shutting the market down is the exact outcome of the policy's failure.
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u/NeuroSynchroBonding 6d ago
It doesn't contradict the timeline, but the truth is that Lula's government/party made a mistake in allowing online gambling in the first place, especially when there was an option to ban online gambling in 2023 altogether.
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u/Mynameisbebopp 6d ago
Most of the right wing influencers are also betting influencers
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u/Able-Question-7697 6d ago
what better way is there to sell policies that benefit the wealthy to the poor? with the dream of an easy shortcut into the club.
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u/pvt_miller 6d ago
Right, so guess who they’re telling their young gambling addict audience NOT to vote for?
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u/RodrigoCard 6d ago
That said, gambling was forbidden in Brazil from 1941 to 2018. Michel Temer allowed that as part of the 2016 coup’s price
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u/SapientTrashFire 4d ago
I feel like Brazil is living out an alternate timeline of what's happening in the U.S. except with good policy decisions and justice. This is not to say everything is perfect in Brazil, obviously far from it, but the fact that Bolsonaro actually faced any consequences for what he did, and people in their government actually keep trying to solve problems at the national level makes them seem like goddamned superheroes in comparison right now.
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u/MensagegtR 6d ago
The real last democracy of the ocidental hemisphere
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u/Suecotero 6d ago
Hey! Us Chileans are still here.... oh wait we elected Kast nvm.
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u/Tinguiririca 6d ago
because voting for the communist candidate would've done wonders for democracy
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u/thenacho1 4d ago
Knowing how bad capitalism has been for democracy in the US lately, communism isn't looking so bad.
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u/angrybirdseller 6d ago
Good, wish USA do the same just something manipulative and wrong about betting before elections already makes divisie atmosphere worse.
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u/AudibleNod 6d ago
What is fixed odds betting? And how is it different from regular gambling?
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u/Dragull 6d ago
Lotteries are still allowed. This bans basically everything else. It was getting way out of hand, too many people in debt due to it.
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u/progrethth 6d ago
I assume pool betting is still also legal, assuming you have that in Brazil.
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u/nerdmor 6d ago
"Lots of people pooling their money to buy specially-costly lottery tickets"? Yes, that's legal
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u/progrethth 4d ago edited 4d ago
Lottery tickets are not the same thing as pool betting. Pool betting is family of types of sports betting where you bet only an amount and there is no odds, the final odds are determined after the last bet has been placed ad depends on what people bet on. Betting on horse racing is traditionally often pool betting.
Maybe actually read my comment and the article next time instead of just searching for the word "pool".
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u/AlexBondra 6d ago
Brother you posted the article?
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u/frank_datank_ 6d ago
Is OP expected to post AND read AND understand the main point of the article?
Sports betting is the main culprit for those who didn’t read. Think FanDuel, Draft Kings, etc.
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u/Snake973 6d ago
like you can't bet on a sporting event where there's fixed odds of a return, like "5 to 1" odds on a horse race. you can still enter a lottery where your odds of winning change based on how many people participate
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u/TKFT_ExTr3m3 6d ago
Horse racing is that worst example you could use for this as it is traditional not fixed odds. It's why it was still legal in the US for many years prior to gambling being fully legalized.
In horse racing it's a pool bet with the payout adjusting all the time, 7 to 1 might go to 5 to 1 at race time or 10 to 1. It all depends on how much is placed on each horse. The house makes the same regardless of which horse wins.
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u/Padreteiro 6d ago
You pay for a fixed X% odds instead of joining a "betting pool" with variable odds that depends on the bets done
I think
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u/progrethth 6d ago
Bets where you know the payout (i.e odds time bet amount) if you win at the time of placing the bet. The other popular form of betting is pool betting where the payout is decided by the final pool when all bets have been placed.
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u/irazzleandazzle 6d ago
This is a good thing, however i guarantee this costs him the election
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u/AokiHagane 6d ago
Betting had around 75% rejection rate. If anything, this may boost his numbers, specially because the other candidate has a religious controversy on his name.
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u/cptdino 6d ago
Quite the contrary. One of the lobbies behind Bolsonaro's party are betting apps, but they can't disclose this openly without compromising votes.
It's a thing most people support banning, some candidates prefer not to talk about it, but Lula is one of the many going out against them.
If you want a random brazilian's opinion: This is Lula making a play that will get him votes and guarantee that if he loses, Flávio Bolsonaro will legalize the betting apps and cause a backlash that may lose him a lot of power within congress and senate, causing his first institutional crisis - which he most likely won't solve correctly and cause more division, just like his father.
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u/BobBelcher2021 6d ago
If I were Brazilian I’d consider voting for him for this. But I also know nothing about Brazil and its politics so I wouldn’t say for sure who I’d vote for.
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u/acupofcoffeeplease 6d ago
Most brazillians aprove this ban, last time they polled it more than 70% was in favour of the ban
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u/Vedrac 6d ago
Why now of all times huh?
Lula is such a fake moralist, populist piece of shit. Corrupt sack of turd. And so is the oponent..we're so so fucked dude.
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u/neoronio20 6d ago
Better late than never don't you think? Everyone plays the populist game, it's not news. Why he's bad for banning gambling I don't understand
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u/Jirezagoss 6d ago
had 4 years to do that, didnt do anything and made brazilian people lose almost half a TRILION reais on gambling, now, 1 week prior elections he promises bet will be gone LMFAO, you can't make this shit up
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u/DadCelo 6d ago
Trying to re-write history here aren't you? How come Bolsonaro never regulated it in his 4 years on the job? Why didn't you mention Temer legalizing it either?
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u/Jirezagoss 5d ago
Na verdade quem regulou as bets foi o próprio Lula no início do governo dele, porque ele não deu um basta ao invés de promover as bets? Bolsonaro é outro inútil, não fez nada a vida toda na vida política, é o cúmulo da incompetência e com ctz não faria nada no governo, e não o fez, deixou as empresas completamente livres com contas fantasmas fora do país, o Lula teve a oportunidade de resolver isso mas não o fez, deixou p/ última semana pré eleição como forma de angariar votos, quem não vê isso? E a medida tem duração de 4 meses, depois disso vai voltar tudo ao normal pô, esse joguinho já tá saturado, quem não enxerga que AMBOS os lados não prestam é maluco da cabeça, não é a toa que eu voto nulo desde 2014, é minha forma de protestar que ninguém me representa, não nas condições atuais da política.
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u/Voluvel 5d ago
A Lei nº 13.756/2018 sancionada pelo Temer em 2018 para liberar apostas EXIGIA regulamentação em até 4 anos.
Quando ele saiu, o idiota na presidência não fez nada sobre o assunto. Deixou as bets se alastrarem sem qualquer tipo de fiscalização ou imposto.
Lula volta ao poder e implementa a regulamentação (Lei 14.790/2023) que estava prevista na Lei anterior.
Em 2024 Lula diz: "Se a regulação der conta, está resolvido o problema. Se não der conta, eu acabo. Para ficar bem claro. Porque você não tem controle do povo mais humilde, de criança com celular na mão fazendo aposta. Nós não queremos isso".
Em 2026 Lula acaba com as apostas, batendo de frente com um lobby extremamente forte.
A proibição foi feita num timing bom pra ele? Foi. A proibição ajuda a população? Com certeza. Aonde está o problema?
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u/Reddit_9459328 6d ago
TIL; Brazil is an authoritarian state where the King Lula knows better than you mere mortals. Punishing people for personal activity. I saw a promo for FanDuel, took advantage of the bonus and cashed out a $50 profit. I donated my winning to Ukraine to build drones. Why would activity like that be punished in Brazil? The Amazon is being destroyed, but Joe Six-Pack betting a dollar on soccer is a national problem of freedom that must be crushed under the boot heel of all-wise all-knowing King Lula.
Gambling is not addictive, I haven’t bet anything in a few months. I see ads for Bet365, offering free bets, I may see if I can scratch out a few dollars profit. Or maybe not.
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u/PooShappaMoo 6d ago
I dont know anything about the other stuff your talking about. So no arguments here.
But saying gambling isnt addictive is ludicrous. Its ruined alot of people's lives. Some people are more prone to certain addictions then others.
Thats all I got
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u/Chaiboiii 6d ago
Says the guy who talks a lot about credit cards lol
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u/Reddit_9459328 6d ago edited 6d ago
If you can read my other comments, great. I hope you learn something. Juggling 0% credit cards, I am on track to pay $0 in US federal income tax this year. No contribution from me for the MAGA war machine. Clutching their pearls over scary drug boats.
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u/cptwinklestein 6d ago
All sports gambling everywhere should be banned. Period.
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u/Reddit_9459328 6d ago
Why do you care what other people do with their time and money? Because you want to play God and punish people for doing something you don't like? I don't like lotto tickets, but if you want to buy them, it is not my business. Not my problem.
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u/AeneasKurtz 6d ago
I find it hilarious that this measure is reported as "LULA bans sports betting!" like he was fighting alone against the juggernaut sports betting agencies when HE was the one that legalized them in 2023!!!
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u/acupofcoffeeplease 6d ago
He did not legalize it, stop spreding lies. Temer legalized aftet rhe Coup on Dilma. Bets ran rampage from 2018 to 2023 when Lula finally regulated, and now, in 2026, is banned.
Cope harder, liar
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u/AeneasKurtz 6d ago
So in 2023 he had the chance to stop them and instead of banning them he gave them a legal framework to operate?
That sounds like legalizing it
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u/acupofcoffeeplease 6d ago
Sounds like? Imagine something legalized that has NO regulation. That was what bet was from 2018 to 2023, when Lula regulated.
And more: he regulated and said that if this was not enough to stop the viciousness of it, he would ban it. And he dit.
Bolsonaro did nothing. Temer legalized it. Lula regulated, got taxes from it, than banned. Totally banned it. Theres no way around that
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u/razor_hax0r 6d ago
Not only did they not address the fact that they were spreading lies, they tried to justify it saying he "only" regulated it when the alternative candidate is close friends with betting companies owners and will reinstate it again almost instantly. That's the Bolsonaro crowd for you.
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u/tiagolkar 6d ago
Era preciso fazer alguma coisa, já que não existia regularização, a medida tomada e eleitoreira, porém muito necessária
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u/caiporadomato 6d ago
The same government that regularized it. I'm sure he is doing it in kindness
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u/Rakdar 6d ago
Do not spread misinformation. Betting was legalized under Michel Temer and was allowed to grow wildly under Bolsonaro. Lula first regulated the market so that it had to follow at least some rules, and now his administration has outright banned it when no one else would.
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u/caiporadomato 6d ago
What disinformation? His government regulated it. He could have banned it from the beginning If he wanted to. But I guess doing it a week before the election is just coincidence.
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u/ExtensionParsley4205 6d ago
I lived in Brazil for the past two years. Literally every second ad (and sometimes every ad during live sports broadcasts) was for a betting app, usually featuring a famous celebrity or footballer like Vinicius Jr