On October 6, the National Association of Gaming Lotteries (ANJL) and the Brazilian Institute of Responsible Gaming (IBJR) submitted a request to Brazil's Supreme Federal Court, addressed specifically to Justice Luiz Fux. They seek to suspend the country’s existing betting ban until a new public hearing can be organized. The core of their appeal is aimed at allowing licensed operators to continue accepting deposits and bets until the hearing occurs. The federal government has already applied for a second hearing, intending to evaluate new evidence from the licensed gaming sector.
In response, the Attorney General’s Office has opposed the suspension of the ban and has urged Justice Fux to wait for input from the Prosecutor General’s Office before reaching a decision. The organizations representing the gaming sector argued that holding the hearing only after licenses have been revoked, contracts concluded, and customers departed would leave them discussing a situation that is already set in stone. They suggested that if the government requires further evidence, it would be more logical to maintain the current operations while that evidence is gathered.
As an alternative, ANJL and IBJR are requesting that market participants be allowed to operate until 11:59 p.m. on December 31, unless the regulations take effect at 12:01 a.m. on January 1, 2027. Their petition also calls for a restoration of access to authorized betting channels, an end to the current traffic redirection practices, and the reinstatement of operators’ social media accounts and existing deals with legal entities, even during the suspension or transition period.
The government has highlighted issues in the illegal betting market in support of the suspension request, revealing that there were 10,435 illegal websites reported for blocking between September 25 and October 1. Additionally, Bet Legal identified 1,195 unauthorized sites as of September 24 and reported that this number grew to 1,949 by the morning of October 6.
Statistical data indicates that 83 enterprises have collectively paid about €400 million (BRL 2.55 billion) for 85 five-year licenses spanning from January 2025 to March 2026. Under the provisional measure in place, these licenses will expire without any entitlement to refunds or compensation for their holders.
This latest request follows ANJL’s earlier action regarding ADI 8027 related to Provisional Measure 1,394/2026, which is aimed at attaining its suspension. However, the current petition is narrower in scope, still addressing the need for legal continued operation until the hearing date or the start of the transition period on December 31.
