The Brazilian Supreme Federal Court (STF) has announced the schedule and participant list for an upcoming public hearing regarding the provisional measure banning betting in the country. Justice Luiz Fux, who oversees this matter, will preside over the proceedings related to Direct Action of Unconstitutionality (ADI) 8027.
A total of 28 entities have been selected to participate, representing various sectors including the executive branch, football clubs, sports organizations, and related associations. Each participant was required to submit the names and powers of attorney of their two designated representatives by 3 PM on Thursday.
The hearing is set for November 3, commencing at 10 AM in the second chamber’s session room of the STF. It will be accessible via television and radio broadcasts, as well as through the STF’s YouTube channel. Each entity will have a 10-minute window to express their views on Provisional Measure (MP) 1.394/2026, which prohibits fixed-odds betting and mandates the termination of licenses for companies in that sector.
Among those scheduled to present are prominent football clubs like Flamengo, Fluminense, Botafogo, Cruzeiro, São Paulo, and Corinthians, alongside representatives from the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) and the Brazilian Olympic Committee (COB).
In addition, statements will be made by the Attorney General’s Office (AGU), the Ministries of Finance and Sports, the Prosecutor General’s Office (PGR), the National Confederation of Commerce of Goods, Services and Tourism (CNC), and the National Confederation of Industry (CNI). Organizations within the betting industry, such as the National Association of Games and Lotteries (ANJL) and the Brazilian Institute of Responsible Gaming (IBJR), will also have representatives present, along with entities that advocate for economic freedom, broadcasting, and market regulation, including the Brazilian Association for Economic Freedom (Able), the Brazilian Association of Radio and Television Broadcasters (Abert), and the Economic Regulation Laboratory at the State University of Rio de Janeiro (UERJ Reg).
The ANJL filed ADI 8027, seeking the immediate suspension of Provisional Measure 1.394/2026, with a request for the STF to declare it unconstitutional. This action also calls for the affirmation of existing laws regulating fixed-odds betting in Brazil. Additional cases challenging the same regulation are included in ADIs 8,024, 8,028, and 8,035.
Other pending matters before the STF include ADIs 7721, 7723, and 7749, all of which question Law 14.790/2023, known as the Betting Law, that governs these betting practices. A prior public hearing was held in November 2024 with contributions from over 50 experts and civil representatives. The AGU has suggested convening a new meeting, citing new evidence regarding the effects of betting and the provisional measure to justify an updated discussion.
The hearing format will follow an established order: after opening remarks by Justice Fux, football clubs will take the floor for their ten minutes each, followed by the CBF and COB. After a lunch break, the AGU, then the ministries of finance and sport, will present. The ANJL and IBJR will speak between 3 PM and 3:20 PM, culminating with the International Gaming Association scheduled to present last around 5 PM.
