The Brazilian attorney general's office (AGU) has requested a 72-hour window to respond to a legal challenge regarding the country’s betting ban. This request was directed to Supreme Federal Court (STF) Minister Luiz Fux and was submitted on Monday, following a lawsuit filed by various betting entities aimed at overturning the provisional measure imposed by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva last Friday.
The AGU explained that the time is necessary for responsible entities to defend their regulations and decisions surrounding the betting ban. This request is procedural and does not imply any position on the underlying issues in the case.
The National Association of Games and Lotteries (ANJL) and the Brazilian Institute for Responsible Gaming (IBJR) are advocating for a suspension of the measure’s effects. They seek to prevent the Ministries of Finance and Justice, Anatel (the Brazilian telecommunications regulatory agency), the Central Bank, Caixa Econômica Federal (a state-owned bank), and the Internet Steering Committee from revoking licenses, halting payments, or blocking websites and applications related to betting.
These organizations argue that the provisional measure is unconstitutional, contending that it fails to demonstrate the required urgency, lacks the necessary technical studies on its potential effects, and risks undermining Brazil’s business climate.
According to the lawsuit, Brazil currently has 85 licensed gaming companies, each having paid BRL30 million ($5.7 million) for their concessions. The enforcement of the provisional measure could impose a risk of requiring the government to refund the total amounts collected, which sums up to around BRL2.5 billion.
The AGU emphasized that its request is meant to provide the government the chance to respond adequately to the latest claims before the STF considers the proposals from the sector. In a statement, they noted, "The attorney general’s office requested this Monday (28 September) that the Supreme Federal Court grant a 72-hour period for the presidency of the Republic and the AGU itself to comment on the requests submitted by the National Association of Games and Lotteries (ANJL) and the Brazilian Institute of Responsible Gaming (IBJR) regarding the fixed-odds betting sector regulations."
The AGU elaborated further, "ANJL, representing gaming and betting enterprises, lodged a petition with the Supreme Federal Court concerning the ongoing legal proceedings and the measures concerning the regulation and operation of betting platforms. IBJR also raised related requests. Given these new submissions, the attorney general’s office asserts that it is important for the authorities charged with defending the contested regulations to present their arguments to the court ahead of time. Consequently, the AGU has asked for the presidency of the Republic and the attorney general of the Union to be allowed to present their viewpoints within 72 hours before the Supreme Court addresses the entities' requests."
